


Shared Happiness

by thepudz



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Adventure, Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, F/F, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Kissing, LGBTQ Themes, NaNoWriMo 2020, Romance, Sexual References, Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:42:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 65,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27435259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepudz/pseuds/thepudz
Summary: Adora made a promise to herself when she was thirteen: "Before you graduate high school, you should make the most out of life and go on a journey." Five years later, and with graduation, college and work in her future, Adora thought that her promise would never be kept. Until she ran into a woman named Catra.The two of them, knowing that this opportunity was now-or-never, joined to become travel partners. Together, they journey across the United States in the footsteps of a famous traveller, leaving behind the mundane life of exams and part-time jobs. They seek enlightenment, adventure, fun, and maybe even love...But all throughout, Adora has only one lingering question: What exactly convinced Catra to go on this journey? Is she looking for something? Or... is she running away from something?Written for NaNoWriMo 2020
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Perfuma/Scorpia (She-Ra)
Comments: 247
Kudos: 288





	1. Every Journey Has A Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome back to another (literal) journey!
> 
> So, I decided to participate in NaNoWriMo this year. Meaning that, if all goes well, by the end of this month, this story will be done with a word count of ~50,000 words. Will I reach that goal? Who knows! XD
> 
> I'm mostly in this for a bit of fun, but this story has been in planning for a while. After writing my previous story, 'Don't Let Go', I needed something more light-hearted and fluffy. What better than an adventure story with our favorite pair of lesbians? 
> 
> Oh, and for those curious, I am currently planning a sequel to my most popular story, 'Droplets'. Stay tuned!
> 
> As always, any and all feedback is much appreciated! Thank you all for inspiring me to write every single day! You're all amazing. And I hope this story will deliver for y'all <3

Adora woke to the sounds of the birds, and tires of cars rolling against the road. Sunlight shined in through the window. The beautiful world, and yet the only thing separating her from the outside was the walls of the house she lived in.

She blinked upon awakening; her eyes gazing up at the wooden ceiling above her. She let out a soft sigh as she brought one hand up and rubbed the sleep out of her eye, looking towards her bedside table and checking her phone for any notifications.

It might be the most popular opinion in the world that Monday mornings absolutely suck.

She swung her legs over the side of the bed as she scrolled through social media, checking if there was anything major that happened in the world while she was asleep for the last three hours. She had made a promise to herself to take some time off social media eventually. It was never really good for her mental health sometimes.

She suddenly received a text as she closed social media, and she tapped on the notification.

 **SparkleSparklesss:** You up and ready for a brand new week?

Adora appreciated Glimmer’s frequent check-ins. Often times, she found herself sleeping in by accident thanks to her abhorrent sleep schedule, so Glimmer making sure she was awake in the mornings was nice.

 **AdorablyScary33:** Unfortunately. I really am not looking forward to exams next week.

 **SparkleSparklesss:** Look on the bright side! After those exams, you’ll be done! No more schooling!

Adora scoffed. She had almost forgotten that this was it. After this year, she would’ve graduated from high school and moved onto the future. A future consisting of…

Well, Adora would decide that later.

As she went to approach the bathroom, she suddenly banged her hip against the wardrobe next to the bathroom door. “Ah!” She cried out, feeling a sudden spike of pain through her body. As she went to check if the clash had left any bruises, she spotted something behind the now-shifted wardrobe.

“… A book?”

This book looked oddly familiar. It brought back faded memories of something in Adora’s past. Like nostalgia, but she wasn’t quite sure what about.

She reached down for the book, which had been covered in dust from however long it spent behind that wardrobe. When she picked it up, she turned it around to look at the front cover. It was a journal.

Specifically, her journal from nearly five years ago.

“Oh shit…” Adora exclaimed in gentle excitement as she flipped open the cover to find the first page, all decorated in drawings of superheroes, rain droplets and a list of everyone’s birthdays. She had made all this when she was thirteen years old, back when life was simple and the world shined a little brighter.

She prepared for whatever cringy entries were made as she opened to the next page, but instead of a date, she found a list.

“Things to do before you graduate from high school…” Adora whispered to herself, reading out loud. The list was short and decorated in rainbows and drawings of dogs. Adora took in a breath and prepared herself for being disappointed in her younger self.

“One… Kiss a boy? Sorry, thirteen-year-old Adora, I don’t think we’ll be accomplishing that any time soon,” she chuckled as she looked at the next thing on the list.

“Two… Buy a house? With what money?” Adora scoffed as she shook her head. She still lived with her parents, though they were out more often than not. Meeting them was almost a weekly thing for her at this point.

And so came the third and final thing on Adora’s list.

“Make the most out of life… and go on a journey.”

Adora looked at that third point for a while. She wasn’t sure how long, nor did she really care. Maybe she had already missed the train by now. “Go on a journey…” She whispered to herself, holding the page tight.

A journey to where? Anywhere? It had a small drawing of a map next to it, and a smiling face. Adora used to always explore her neighborhood and find secret corners or trees to climb wherever she went. She hadn’t done that in years.

Soon enough, a droplet of water hit the page, staining it. Adora raised an eyebrow, and looked up to see if her roof was leaking. However, the droplet hadn’t come from there.

It came from her tears.

She touched her cheek gently, feeling the tears that leaked from them. She didn’t even realize she had been crying, but now that it was brought to her attention, it couldn’t stop. She didn’t sob, but she simply closed the book and placed it next to her bed.

Memories had come flushing back rapidly. She always wanted to go on a journey with nothing to tie her down. To simply discover the world and all of its beauty. She wanted to make the most out life while she still could.

Back when she was thirteen, everything seemed so simple. Now, she could never get those years back.

She stood up, wiping the tears from her eyes as she headed into the bathroom. She tried to put off the thoughts of her failure. After all, it was just her thirteen-year-old self making a dumb promise. It’s not like she could’ve ever gone a journey.

But it’s also like she never even tried.

Adora looked at herself in the mirror and saw a set of tired eyes. Eighteen years old, nearing on nineteen. She always looked forward to growing up and taking the world by storm. She always looked forward to independence and free will.

And now, those opportunities were rapidly flashing. She sighed.

“Dammit.”

* * *

“So it’s a beautiful day outside… and we’re stuck in here, studying.”

Adora heard Bow speak up after about forty-five minutes of the study session she had planned with him and Glimmer. These two had been with Adora through everything, even back when they were in elementary school. If she were to ever consider anyone to be her best friends, it would be these two.

But lately, she began to wonder what would happen after exams. After graduation. When they could no longer see each other every weekday and no longer had an obligation to be around each other. What then?

Those thoughts were scary to Adora, and so, she pushed them away.

“Well, think of it this way,” Glimmer replied, “after we finish this up, we can go down to the store and maybe get some snacks from there? I did miss breakfast this morning.”

“Same,” Adora chimed in.

“Hey, that sounds fun!” Bow beamed. “Does everyone here have cash for that?”

The silence that followed was enough of an answer for each of them as Bow leaned back in his seat and sighed. “At least by this time, two weeks from now, we’ll be done with all this. Nothing but freedom for a few months,” he said.

“You planning to go to college or something?” Glimmer asked as she continued writing down notes in her book.

“Depends on what my results are. Even then, I’m not sure if I’m cut out for that kind of life. I’m probably going to go see my dads and talk with them. Could always try and go for the athlete lifestyle?” Bow grinned, imagining a future as an Olympic archer.

“And I’m sure you’ll do fantastic in that,” Glimmer complimented him, though it was hard to tell if she meant it as she scanned her textbook. “What about you, Adora? Any plans for after graduation?”

“Well, uh…” Adora knew she hated this question. She had been asked it by almost every teacher and relative she had ran into over the last month, and every time, she never had an answer for them. “I suppose I could… get a job somewhere…?”

“Somewhere like…?” Glimmer attempted to push her towards an idea of sorts.

“Um…” Adora pondered for a few seconds. “College…?”

Glimmer’s handwriting stopped, and she looked up at Adora with a deadpan expression. “You’re gonna work at college?”

“No! I mean, I’ll go to college… And work somewhere!” Adora grinned, trying to play off her miswording of events. She was met with Glimmer’s judgement for a few more seconds, before she sighed and closed her textbook.

“I’ll be honest… I’m not really feeling the brain neurons kick in today,” Glimmer admitted as she crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. “I guess I’m just kind of… distracted.”

“By what?” Bow asked.

“Well… just the future, I guess,” Glimmer shrugged, “I’ve been so comfortable with life. It’s just school and then the weekend, over and over again… But now, I need to decide something. I don’t know what comes next. And… I don’t know what’s going to happen to us.”

“Well, we’ll still be friends, right?” Bow asked.

“Yeah, but…” Glimmer sighed. “We won’t be seeing each so often like this. We’ll have our own things… Our own colleges… Our own jobs… Our own places…” Glimmer put a hand under her chin. “Something about the ‘perfect lifestyle’ just sounds so… dull.”

“I get what you’re saying,” Adora immediately added. “I actually found an old journal in my room this morning from back when I was thirteen. I was prepared to laugh at it, but… well, one of the first entries was a list of things I had to do before I graduated high school.”

“What were they?” Glimmer asked.

“Well… One of them was to ‘go on a journey’. You know, just… pack your things and leave. Go on an adventure,” Adora threw her hands up. “But now look at me. I’ve never even left my own state, and I’m probably never going to get the chance to. It’s just… this. Work and money and sleep. Everything’s so different from when we were kids.”

“You can say that again,” Bow mumbled, looking up at the ceiling.

“You going to be okay?” Glimmer asked Adora. She nodded.

“Yeah. It’s just… nostalgia is both so awesome and so shitty at the same time. I love thinking back at the times we had… but then realizing that we’ll never get them back is just like a punch in the gut,” Adora chuckled. “Brains are dumb, huh?”

“Well… why don’t you open your textbook and try to find the anatomical reasoning for why brains are dumb?” Glimmer offered. Adora smirked at her, knowing she was just looking out for her study time and future. Glimmer was always a good friend like that.

“You know what? I think I’ll do just that,” Adora said as she opened her textbook up. “And… thanks for letting me vent. I needed that after this morning.”

“We’re always here for you, Adora. Maybe things will get weird in the future, but… you’ll always have someone reliable to fall upon,” Glimmer said gently to her. Adora nodded with a smile as she picked up her pen yet again.

She wondered just how much the future would put that statement to the test.

* * *

Adora watched as the train practically flew pass her, the wind causing her school jacket and hair to move around a tad. She stood in the middle of the train station, the afternoon sun setting in the distance as she awaited her train along with the other students from her school.

She never really talked to many people outside of Bow and Glimmer. She could hear very faint conversations about parties and drinking. Whatever celebrations everyone else had planned for after graduation. Adora didn’t blame them. Having that total freedom for a few months was bliss.

She had already planned her after graduation celebration: going into a blanket fort with some pizza and binging shows wildly until she passes out.

She smiled at the thought. It wasn’t much of a ‘celebration’, but that blanket fort was the safest place she could be. Nothing could hurt her there.

But then again, under the blanket fort, there was no chance of adventure. Perhaps she could get lost in a journey with the characters on screen. Nothing wrong with that. But no matter what she did, all that came to mind was her journal.

‘Go on a journey’.

The words refused to leave her mind. She looked down the train tracks and towards the distance. They winded around towards the mountains, just out of town. In the other direction was the city, slowly lighting up with the colors of the world. Neon signs and giant skyscrapers.

She wondered what would happen if she got on a train and went the other direction.

Where would she end up? What would await her? The unknown was the most intriguing thing about life. The idea was joyous to think about. In fact, she even seriously pondered it for a few moments. It could be the start of a brand new journey. The start of a new life.

But then she also had an English exam this time next week.

She sighed, adjusting her backpack strap. “Yeah, right…” She sighed. As if she’d last long going in the opposite direction. She’d probably get too nervous and just go back the normal way. The unknown was the most scary thing about life.

As a train rolled along yet again, Adora heard loud footsteps rapidly approaching her direction. Sounds like someone is late for their trip. She turned to look at the running figure.

The figure had long, bushy hair. Their body was lean, and their clothes worn down. They carried a large duffle bag packed to the brim with what looked like clothes and books. Adora barely got a good look at them, but she got a face full of their long hair as they ran pass. A few strands brushed Adora’s cheek, and the smell was something peculiar. Not disgusting, but not fantastic either. It was just… unique.

The afternoon sun shined behind the figure as they ran. They blocked the rays of light and basked in the orange glow. Adora’s eyes widened slightly. She wasn’t sure why she was so surprised. Perhaps she just felt startled.

As the figure ran by, something slipped out of duffle bag that they carried. A small envelope. Adora had a few seconds to recover from the shock, before calling out. “H… Hey! Excuse me! You dropped…”

Adora’s voice fell on deaf ears as the figure ran into the departing train. Adora picked up the envelope, but before she could give it back, the train doors had already closed and the figure was gone along with it.

Adora felt a weight in her stomach as the train sped towards the city. Whoever that figure may be, she felt sorry for them. She only hoped the envelope wasn’t too important.

Adora noticed that the envelope was already opened. And it didn’t feel like a letter. It felt… heavier. She raised an eyebrow and looked to see if anyone was watching. It wouldn’t hurt to just peek, right?

Or was that an invasion of privacy?

Adora decided that she would leave the judgement to whatever deity there may be as she opened the envelope and took a quick look inside. And almost immediately, she closed the envelope back up when she saw its contents.

It was money. And not just a little bit. Adora didn’t take the time to count, but it had to be in the thousands.

She frantically looked around, making sure no one else spotted what was in the envelope. Even more now, she felt pure guilt. Unless they stole it, that figure had left behind what could practically be their life savings.

Adora’s mind ran wild with a billion thoughts on what to even do with this amount of money. Immediately, she had to wipe away any thoughts of spending it. She didn’t own it and she didn’t need all of it. So the next options were how to return it back to that running figure. There were no markings on the envelope to suggest ownership or a place to return it.

Following the figure on the next train was an option, but unlikely to achieve any results. Adora didn’t know which stop they would’ve gotten off at, or how far away they were. Too many unknown variables. She wondered if she could give it to the front counter, but even then, it might result in trouble for her, or the money being stolen.

She wondered if she should turn it over to the police. But her gut went cold at the thought. She wasn’t sure why, but something in her heart screamed at her to not do that.

For now, she needed to keep the money safe. The only person she trusted with it right now was herself. She opened up her school backpack and slipped inside one of its deep pockets, making sure to bury a bunch of textbooks on top of it. She’d have time to think more clearly later.

As the train approached, she zipped her bag back up and boarded, swiping her pass as she entered the train and going to stand by the window. She watched the sun slowly sink below the distant mountains as night swallowed the sky.

She desperately tried not to look like she had thousands of dollars in her bag.

* * *

During the frosty morning the next day, Adora particularly kept a lookout for that figure.

Overnight, instead of studying, Adora spent hours pondering what to do with the money. She needed to return it to that person somehow, but she had little idea as to how. Every option seemed like it had some major con that made it too risky.

She had trouble trusting anyone else to take care of the money. She wondered if that made her selfish, but she didn’t really want to change her mind any time soon. She kept her bag close as her breath formed into mist in front of her.

Eventually, the day would get warmer according to the weather app. Adora just had to push through the cold until then.

Adora’s train approached and she wondered if she should board it just yet. Maybe the person wouldn’t show up to the train station until that afternoon? Or maybe they show up five minutes after Adora left? The butterflies in her stomach felt like they were about to burst forth.

Adora took hesitant steps towards her train as the doors slid open. She looked around the station one last time, and slowly came to the conclusion that maybe she got unlucky for now. She just hoped the money wasn’t an urgent need. Either way, she’d return it somehow.

As Adora went to board the train, she suddenly felt a familiar smell tickle her nose.

She stopped in her path, and turned to see a familiar set of hair. She wondered if it was weird to remember this particular smell, but either way, it had led her right to where she needed to be.

This was the person. No doubt about it.

She wanted to return the money right now, but there were way too many people around. But she also didn’t want to follow this person. What if they, rightfully, freaked out? Instead, Adora opted to stand by and see where they headed to.

They didn’t go too far thankfully, as Adora watched them walk into a nearby public bathroom. She waited a few seconds and looked to make sure no one was watching, before also slowly walking over to the same bathroom.

Before she opened the door, Adora took a few moments to ponder what her actions would look like out of context. She only hoped she didn’t have a stalker, because she’d likely be freaking them out.

When Adora entered, she saw only one stall was closed. It was likely that person. She slowly closed the door behind her, and wondered just how she was going to do this. Frantically, she opened her bag and took out the envelope, but as she grabbed the money…

“FUCK!” An incredibly loud voice screamed as the person suddenly slammed their fist against the stall door. Adora jumped at the sudden cry, and she had to recover her balance before she fell over backwards. She had the envelope in her hand, but now she was almost having second thoughts.

Eventually, the stall door opened, and out stepped the figure.

Wild, bushy hair. Lean body. Worn down clothes. This was it.

They had tears in their eyes and a pissed off expression as they exited the stall. Adora could tell they were upset, and soon enough, their eyes locked towards Adora’s direction. The glare Adora was met with sent shivers all throughout her body.

And immediately, the figure noticed the envelope in Adora’s hand.

“I, uh…” Adora held out the envelope towards the person. “I came to return this to you.”

The figure looked up at Adora with an intense, furious fire in their eyes, and more than ever, Adora felt like she was going to die in that moment. “B… Before you think anything, I swear to everything I didn’t steal it intentionally! Last night, you were running on this train platform and it dropped out of your bag and I tried to return it and then you were gone and then I freaked out and then I had no idea what to do and then I…”

Adora’s voice and story of things trailed off as the figure approached Adora. She noticed they tried to hide their face as well as they could as they looked at the floor. Eventually, they reached out a hand and took the envelope, slowly accepting Adora’s offer.

“Thank…” The person attempted to choke out a word of thanks, but it crumbled into a single sob. Eventually, they took in a deep breath and calmed themselves, before making eye contact with Adora. Their eyes were still stinging red, but now, it was simply tears of relief. “Thank you… so much…”

“I was worried I was never going to find you,” Adora chuckled, but the other person didn’t find much humor in the situation. It wasn’t like they were judging Adora. Maybe they were just in such a wave of relief that no other emotion could process in their mind. “I’m… I’m Adora, by the way. I go to Bright Moon Academy.”

“I could tell by that stupid uniform,” they returned with a scoff. “… No offense.”

“None taken. I hate the uniform too,” Adora said. “Can I, uh… ask for your name?”

The person looked at Adora for a while. She felt like she was being scanned by a robot of sorts. Or maybe she was being observed for any weapons. The person looked Adora up and down multiple times, and eventually, they let out a slow breath.

“I’m… Catra.”

Catra put the money away in their duffle bag as Adora wondered what to do next. She should be boarding the next train, but something in her mind told her to stay for a little bit. Or maybe Catra was sick of her presence? Adora had no idea. She liked to think she could read body language well, but maybe Catra was a unique case.

Adora looked to the duffle bag. It had two badges on it, one of which was a rainbow pin with the black and brown stripes on top. The other was a pin with ‘she/her’ pronouns. Adora’s eyes wandered towards the envelope yet again.

“Can I…” Adora pointed to the envelope. “Can I ask… why you carry that with you? You don’t have to answer! I know I’m way overstepping my boundaries! It’s just…”

“Curious, huh?” Catra responded with a smirk as she zipped up her duffle bag and wrapped the strap around her shoulders, standing up and putting her hands in her pockets.

“I suppose so,” Adora shrugged, thankful that Catra wasn’t too defensive about the money.

“Sure, I can tell you,” Catra offered. “You could’ve easily stolen it by now, so the fact that you went out of your way to return it says a lot about your character. So I’ll tell you… under one condition.”

“What’s that?”

“Meet me outside the mall in town in about four hours. I’ll be on one of the benches. If I see you there, I’ll tell you everything,” Catra suggested. Adora felt a small surprise at how willing this Catra was to trust her.

Well, ‘trust’ was a loose term. If anything, this was a test of trust. Adora didn’t steal the money, so perhaps Catra was seeing if Adora was really interested, or was just trying to make conversation. Clearly, this money meant more than Adora initially thought.

“I, uh… I have school then,” Adora replied. Catra’s smirk only grew wider.

“Exactly,” she said, before exiting the bathroom. Adora realized Catra’s shtick. The only way to find a reason for the money was to skip school today. But that also meant losing out on study time, which could hurt Adora so close to exams.

But something about Catra screamed to Adora that she shouldn’t let her time with this woman end here. And so, Adora loosened the tie of her uniform a bit and chuckled.

“Alright, Catra… I’ll play your game.”

* * *

Just as predicted, the sun was shining bright and the clouds had mostly cleared from the sky as Adora walked towards the giant mall in town.

She wore just a casual shirt and denim pants now, having changed out of the school uniform she wasn’t a huge fan of. The air had grown warmer, and the sun reflected upon the puddles that had formed from this morning. The atmosphere felt almost sticky, but not uncomfortably so.

Adora had spent the previous four hours trying to find out more about Catra online. Social media pulled little results that looked like her, and a web search pulled practically nothing. Whoever she was, she had clearly disconnected from the online world.

Adora always dreamt of doing that. Pulling the plug would be healthy for her, but at the same time, she’d lose a major way of communication with her friends. It was a difficult balance of social media being a great way to talk to everyone when she couldn’t see them in person, and also being the source of many poor mental health days when the news decided to punch her in the gut over and over.

And so, whenever Adora deleted social media, she usually came back to it within the next few days.

As she neared the mall, Adora felt her phone vibrate with a notification.

 **SparklesSparklesss:** Skipping today, are we?

Adora scoffed.

 **AdorablyScary33:** You going to tell on me or something?

 **SparklesSparklesss:** Oh totally, because I’m five years old. It’s cool Adora, I just want to know if you’re doing okay.

 **AdorablyScary33:** Yeah, I’m good. How about you?

 **SparklesSparklesss:** Hanging in there. Bow’s missing you.

 **AdorablyScary33:** I’m going to the mall today. I’ll bring some souvenirs for the both of you, okay?

 **SparklesSparklesss:** I think that’d make Bow very happy.

Adora put her phone away as she looked up towards the benches outside of the mall. As predicted, most of them were empty except for the one that Catra occupied by herself.

Adora noticed she was wearing an employee’s uniform, so she must be on break at this time. Explains why she was so specific about it being four hours from then. She had a small bottle of soft drink in her hand as she noticed Adora approaching her.

“Oh shit,” Catra chuckled, surprised. “I actually didn’t expect you to show up.”

“I’ve always been told I like to take on a challenge. Besides, I’ll take any excuse to get out of a day of studying,” Adora replied as she took a seat opposite Catra on the bench, a wooden table between them as they looked at each other. “You on break or something?”

“For about the next ten minutes. Don’t worry, I’m not skipping work. I’m being a good capitalist slave,” Catra scoffed as she leaned back and looked up at the blue sky.

“I took a day off school when I have exams next week. I really can’t judge if you decide to skip work today,” Adora shrugged. Catra looked down at her and gave a gentle smile, before leaning forward and letting out a sigh.

“So…” Catra put her elbows on the bench table. “I bet you’re wondering why I have ten-thousand dollars in my possession.”

“That would be a major question I have, yes,” Adora replied. “I will say, you really don’t have to tell me. I feel like I’ve already pried into your life enough.”

“It’s cool. I don’t have many people I talk to anyway,” Catra shrugged. “I’ve worked for this money for a while. Probably going on about two and a half years now. This isn’t the only job I have.”

“And you don’t go to school or anything? I thought we were around the same age,” Adora asked, pointing between the two of them.

“I’m nearly nineteen, but… haven’t been to school in a while,” Catra admitted with a shrug. “At first, it started because I just slept in and missed the bus. But then I just… I just kept doing it. Until eventually, I realized that I wasn’t just missing it by accident… but I just flat-out didn’t want to go. It’s when I had… well, an epiphany.”

“An epiphany?”

“Yeah. That the ‘normal life’… You know, school, work, house? I just couldn’t see myself doing it. I wanted something more from this life. I wanted to make the most out of it before it was too late. I read a few books and they really helped… well, change me,” Catra said. “I realized what I wanted to do, and I knew I’d need money to do it. So… I started working.”

“And what was it that you wanted to do?”

Catra looked to Adora, and a wide smile beamed on her face.

“I wanted… no… I’m going to go on a journey.”

Adora felt a wave of tingles shoot throughout her body. Her eyes widened slightly and she felt like her whole body had immediately been filled with adrenaline. Her heart began to pound a little faster at those words. “A journey...”

“Yeah. Across the United States. The main goal is Alaska, but… I’m mostly following in the footsteps of someone else,” Catra admitted. “I’m really, really close to it, too. With this money, I think I’ll be able to make it. One of these days, I’ll just be… gone. I don’t know how long for, but I’ll be free. It might be tomorrow. Might be next week. But it’s soon.”

“Soon, huh?” Adora said with a shake of her head. She pondered for a while. She pondered if she wanted to make the first step. She pondered if she was allowed to make the first step. She pondered whether this would be okay or not.

But the first step was always the hardest. And so, Adora took in a breath.

“Catra… I know this is sudden… but when you leave… can you take me with you?”

Catra’s smile slowly faded at those words. Adora felt gentle tingles throughout her body as Catra narrowed her eyes. “You want to come with me?”

Adora nodded.

“We met four hours ago. We barely know each other. You’re a student. And you… want to come with me?” Catra tried to point to the ridiculousness of it all. Adora was almost inclined to agree. After all, who knew what Catra was like? What if this was a trick?

Adora’s brain told her to stop. Her heart screamed at her to keep going.

“I found a journal in my room just yesterday. It was almost like a letter from my thirteen-year-old self. And she told me… that before I graduated high school, I needed to make the most of this life and go on a journey,” Adora said. “And I have done anything but that. The future is coming in rapidly and I won’t ever get a chance like this.”

“You know this isn’t some short plane trip, right?” Catra asked. “I’m following in the footsteps of someone who took two years to get to Alaska from here in Atlanta. And it’s not a straight shot either. It’s not something easy, Adora.”

“And a journey should never be easy,” Adora immediately responded. “Look… I’m not going to force anything onto you. This is something you’ve planned for a while, and I doubt you ever included a random girl asking to come along at the last minute in your plans. But this is the last shot I have, and I’m taking it. I know the consequences. I know the repercussions. I know it won’t be easy. But nothing will outweigh the fact that I have a promise to keep to myself.”

Catra looked to Adora for a few minutes. They were agonizing minutes. Adora’s heart was pounding rapidly in her chest, and she felt like it was going to burst open into an explosion of anxiety. Catra slowly leaned forward. “Adora. I’m going to ask you one more time. Do you really want to come on a long journey across the United States with me?”

Adora leaned close to Catra and made direct eye contact with her. “More than anything.”

Catra looked into Adora’s eyes. She waited for that hesitation. She waited for Adora to pull back. But her eyes spoke every word for her. She was dead serious about this. Catra weighed up the pros and cons, and whether Adora was just messing with her.

But eventually, Catra let out a chuckle and looked at the ground. “You’re a whole lot like Chris.”

“Chris?” Adora asked, but Catra raised a hand.

“Ignore that. I’ll tell you in due time,” Catra said, and Adora’s eyes lit up.

“Are you saying…?”

Adora’s excitement was met with Catra’s beaming grin as they both looked to each other.

“You bet I am. Adora and Catra… you and I… Let us go on a journey together, and rediscover what life truly is.”


	2. Rebirth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora and Catra plan their long journey across the United States, but Adora begins to have second thoughts. Adora wonders how her friends and parents would handle her departure on an adventure. Catra talks about 'Chris', the inspiration behind this journey.

Adora looked at the large map of the United States before her and placed the last blue pin in Alaska.

Pins with small wool threads attached them joint place to place on the map, outlining the path that this journey would take. It was a sporadic and almost random path across the states that Adora had taken about half an hour to all get down.

“So I want to make sure I got this right…” Adora said to her phone as she looked at the map of her and Catra’s journey.

“Go ahead,” Catra responded, her voice coming from the phone. Adora had been in a call with her for the last hour as they talked about this adventure.

“So we begin in Atlanta, Georgia, obviously,” Adora said, looking at the south-eastern state she had lived in all her life. She had never crossed the lines of the state of Georgia, and now, she may be going further than she ever could’ve imagined.

“Home, sweet home,” Catra spoke, and although Adora couldn’t see her, she could tell Catra had a sarcastic smirk on her face as she spoke those words. The odd thing was, Adora had never seen Catra before in her life, and yet she claimed to live in Atlanta for a long time too. It confused her.

It was among the list of things Adora found confusing about Catra. But from what she could tell, Catra didn’t want to deceive Adora for the fun of it. Adora assumed there may be personal details in this journey that Catra didn’t want to share just yet.

“Then it’s a straight shot west to…” Adora’s hand trailed across the thread. “Texas. What’s the plan there?”

“Well, here’s the thing, Adora. I’ve planned the hell out of this path… but I got nothing in terms of what we’re doing in each state. Got to have some sort of unknown in this journey. So who knows? Maybe we help out on a farm somewhere?” Catra responded.

“I guess I see what you’re saying,” Adora shrugged. “After that, it’s a little more west into Arizona.”

“I hear it can get pretty damn hot there, so be sure to pack for boiling weather. Hopefully we won’t be hiking too long there,” Catra replied.

“That actually makes me curious. How are we getting to each of these states? Are we walking?” Adora asked, but she soon heard Catra chuckle.

“Here’s hoping we don’t have to walk everywhere! There’ll be some hiking involved, but we’ll probably want to prioritize hitchhiking or catching trains. I’ve got a pretty good sense of the railroad system so I should be able to predict when trains are coming through so we can hop them,” Catra explained. That eased Adora’s mind a bit.

“So from Arizona, we’re going all the way down to… Mexico?” Adora asked with slight confusion. “See, this was the one that confused me most. Isn’t this as far away from Alaska as you can get?”

“Well, Alaska is the final destination, yes. But the journey is what it’s all about! I’ll explain why in a bit, okay?” Catra said. Adora let out a small sigh but decided to roll with it. All will make sense in due time, and Catra obviously had some form of reasoning behind each of these stops.

“After Mexico, we’re going up to… oh, California! I’ve always wanted to go there!” Adora cheered as she was reminded of the place she was most looking forward to going to.

“You know how to surf? I’m thinking we hit the beach there,” Catra asked, a grin on her face as she clearly heard Adora’s excitement in her voice.

“Nope, but I’m definitely going to give it a shot!” Adora smiled brightly. She used to always watch shows set in California. It was one of her favorite places in the world. It still is. “And then after that, it’s…”

“Vegas, baby!” Catra interrupted, causing Adora to snort and laugh slightly. “Sorry, I just had to get that in there. I figure by this point, we’d have been by ourselves for a while now. So a city shouldn’t do us too much harm, right?”

“I see your reasoning,” Adora replied. “And then here’s a big, big line all the way to… South Dakota,” Adora pointed all the way from Las Vegas in the west coast, to South Dakota up in the north. “That’s a pretty big straight shot.”

“If we’re short on money, we can work the grain elevators there. You okay with getting a little down and dirty?” Catra asked, and Adora scoffed.

“I can be the dirtiest person in the world,” Adora said with confidence. “That… that sounded better in my head.”

Adora didn’t get a response as she simply heard Catra’s laughter from the other end of the call, and she blushed slightly. Catra did have a cute laugh. Adora waited for her to calm down a bit, before pointing back at the map. “From South Dakota, we make one final shot through Canada, all the way to…”

“Alaska.”

Their final destination, all the way up north. Adora took a step back and looked at the map, her eyes tracing the path again. It was almost hard to follow, and it seemed to go from place to place without reasoning. She appreciated the long journey, but it would seem like Alaska was a last minute decision if one were to look at the map without context.

“So now you’ve got to make sense of this for me. Why are we visiting all of these places?” Adora asked. Catra let out a sigh of joy.

“One simple reason,” Catra replied. “We are following in the footsteps of Christopher McCandless.”

“Christopher McCandless…” Adora pondered for a few seconds, before shaking her head. “Should I know who that is?”

“Actually, I was kind of hoping you wouldn’t,” Catra responded honestly. “He journeyed on a path, similar to the one we have, from 1990 to 1992, from Atlanta to Alaska. He got pretty popular for it too, with a book and movie being made about his journey.”

“Why’d he do it?” Adora asked, sitting down on her bed and looking at the map.

“Well, that’s kind of a debated topic. Honestly, a lot of things about Chris are debated. Whether he should’ve gone on the trip for the first place, his reasoning for doing it, whether he was an idiot or not… But I like to think he left for a lot of reasons. And you reminded me of him today,” Catra explained.

“How so?” Adora asked.

“Your desire to live life to the upmost before it’s too late… Leaving behind everything to discover yourself even with all the risks… You’re bold, Adora. Some might call you stupid. I’d say you’ve got more guts than a lot of people,” Catra admitted. “Chris went to be one with nature. He prioritized the natural world over everything else. But he also left because of his home life, which was… to put it kindly, an absolute shithole.”

“I think I’m starting to see why this guy got so popular. What he did was unique. So, what, is he your hero or something?” Adora asked.

“Hero… isn’t the right word to use. Some people hold the guy up as a massive inspiration and a romantic figure. Some people call him an absolute idiot who no one should like or think about. I don’t agree with either side. But what I do have for him is respect. And curiosity. So I’m following in his footsteps because I just want to… get away from everything, and see if I can find what he found,” Catra explained.

“And what did he find?” Adora asked.

“Well, I suppose we’ll find out, won’t we?” Catra responded with a grin, and Adora chuckled lightly. “I think I’ll tell you his story as we go from place to place. Of course, I can’t stop you from researching him and finding out every detail of his life, but I’d encourage you to go in blind. I promise, by the end of this journey, you’ll have formed your thoughts about him pretty well, and you’ll probably come to understand mine.”

“Suppose that gives one more thing to look forward to at each stop,” Adora said with a smile as she laid down in her bed.

“So… have you, like, talked to your parents about all this?” Catra asked with a hint of nervousness in her voice. Adora slowly ran a hand through her hair as she let out a sigh.

“Not yet. I don’t know if I’m going to, honestly,” she admitted.

“Why not?”

“Well, my parents… I don’t hate them, but I can’t say I love them either. They’re almost like… strangers,” Adora admitted. “I don’t see them all that often. I may as well be living on my own. When I do see them, it’s always so… awkward. What about your parents?”

“Parent. Singular,” Catra corrected. “And… I, uh… Sorry, I know I sound like a hypocrite, but I’d rather keep that to myself. For now, at least,” Catra spoke with some hesitation.

“Oh no, I get it, Catra. Didn’t mean to pry,” Adora apologized.

“It’s fine. I’m just… a tad concerned about your situation. Adora, are you really sure about this?” Catra asked. Adora immediately opened her mouth to respond.

“I…” She attempted to choke out the words of affirmation, but they refused to come. Her heart was telling her to say yes, but her brain was listing a bunch of reasons why this was dangerous and stupid. She hesitated to say anything, and after a few seconds, Catra sighed.

“Right. I get it. Don’t bother, Adora. I’m sorry for asking you to come in the first place,” Catra said.

“No, Catra, wait, I’m…” Adora suddenly heard the click on the other end of the line, and checked to see that Catra had hanged up on her. Adora pushed her forehead against the phone. “Dammit…” She sighed with frustration.

Adora leaned up and looked at the large map before her. The path of Christopher McCandless. What was meant to be the path for her and Catra. The cons were there. It was risky. Maybe foolish. But Adora’s heart wouldn’t let go. And she knew she would never forgive herself if she didn’t keep this promise.

Adora wasn’t letting go of this journey. No matter what.

* * *

“So you know that journey I was talking about the other day?”

Adora, Glimmer and Bow sat just outside the library with their lunches, taking a small break from their study. Adora had barely picked at her food, and Glimmer could tell something was going on. “Yeah. The one you found in your journal, right?” Bow asked.

“That’s the one,” Adora nodded, “well, I thought I was never going to get that done, but… something’s come up. I ran into this woman on the train station the other day, and she… well, I got around to talking to her, and she’s got the same idea as me. Going on a journey before it’s too late.”

“So you found a new friend!” Bow said with a wholesome smile, but Glimmer was showing a more concerned look as Adora spoke.

“Well, I… I guess so. Anyway, the important thing is… she has the means to do it. And I think she wants me to come along,” Adora admitted. Glimmer slowly placed her lunch down as Bow put his hands on his cheeks, gushing.

“Adora, that’s incredible! You’re finally going to achieve that dream of yours!” Bow beamed, and Adora scratched the back of her head, chuckling a bit. Bow’s positive vibes just seem to radiate onto her mood whenever they showed up.

“Now hold on a second, okay?” Glimmer interjected. “I really, really hate to spoil whatever excitement you’ve got going on, but… are you absolutely sure about this, Adora?”

“If everything goes right, I’d love nothing more than this journey. This chance to just… be!” Adora said with clear excitement in her voice, but Glimmer soon brought her legs up to her chest and looked at Adora with worry in her eyes, her brows narrowing slightly.

“I’d just really hate for you to get all excited about this and be disappointed, okay?” Glimmer spoke. “It’s just… what is this journey? Where are you headed? How’re you getting there? How long is it going to take? Are you going to miss exams? What about your future?”

Adora sighed. She knew Glimmer was just concerned about her safety and happiness, but facing reality often sucked. Adora leaned her head on Glimmer’s shoulder. “I really appreciate the concern, believe me. It’s going to be a journey to Alaska, but we’re kind of taking… a lot of detours along the way. Arizona, Mexico, California… and we’re going to be using means like hitchhiking, train riding, or even walking if we have to. We’re following in the footsteps of someone Catra read about, and he took… around two years.”

“Two years?!” Glimmer exclaimed. “I… Adora, I have to ask again, are you absolutely sure about this? I mean… do you have the legal means of doing this? Do you understand the risks?”

“Yes, no, and yes. But I think I’ve had enough of being chained down by rules and boundaries. I just want to live, even for a little bit!” Adora pleaded, and Glimmer brought a hand up to rub Adora’s hair gently, letting out a deep sigh.

“Do you even know Catra well? You said you only met her the other day. Did she tell you her life story right off the bat or something?” Glimmer asked. Adora couldn’t help but laugh as she shook her head.

“Not even a little bit. But… I don’t think she has bad intentions,” Adora explained. Glimmer rubbed Adora’s hair just a little longer.

“Look, I’m not your mom, okay? But I just really, really want you to think about this. I know you’re smart, but you’re my friend. I just want to know you’re going to be okay,” Glimmer explained, and Adora gave a gentle nod, looking up at her.

“I love you, Glimmer. I promise I’ll keep you up to date, alright?” Adora said, and Glimmer returned with a gentle smile.

Adora knew her friends were worried. She knew her parents would be worried. It was one of the many things she had to consider in her mind, but ultimately, there was only one thing she needed to do. Find Catra, and talk to her.

And she knew just where to look.

* * *

Adora found Catra leaving the mall after school that afternoon.

She watched Catra stretch her arms above her heads, shaking off the tiresome day of work as she headed towards the cobblestone path on her way home. But soon enough, she was looking in Adora’s direction, and spotted her almost instantly.

Adora gave a small wave. Catra simply narrowed her eyes.

“What are you doing here?” Catra asked.

“I just wanted to talk with my travel partner, if she’d still have me around,” Adora gave a smile. Catra looked at her for a few more seconds, before letting out a sigh and shaking her head.

“Come on. You can walk with me back home,” Catra offered as she walked pass Adora and towards the large array of buildings in the distance. The afternoon sun almost made the world go red as Adora and Catra walked alongside each other, feeling the warmth against their skin.

“I, uh… I have to apologize for the hesitation last night,” Adora started. “I…”

“Nope. You don’t have to apologize for anything,” Catra interrupted. “I’m the one who needs to be sorry. I need to be better at trusting you. You hesitated and… I thought I’d be alone again. That was on me. I need to do better. I’m sorry.”

Adora looked to Catra, who although wasn’t making eye contact, genuinely meant the apology. “That’s really mature of you,” Adora commented. Catra scoffed.

“Ask my mom and she’d say otherwise,” Catra sighed. “I just don’t want bad blood between us, especially since you’re so serious about this. I can tell you really care and you’re not just going along for the fun of it. I always thought I’d be going alone.”

“That actually makes me curious,” Adora said as she looked at the path ahead. “What made you want to go on this journey? Why’d you accept to bring me along instead of going alone like planned?” Adora asked. These were the two most burning questions in her mind, and she’d wonder if Catra would be able to answer them.

From Adora’s perspective, she thought that Catra wasn’t really being ‘dishonest’. More that she was telling only bits and pieces. Maybe the whole answer was too personal? Maybe it was too dark? Maybe it was a trigger for her? Adora respected it either way, but she’d hope that one day on this journey, she’d be able to peel back the layers on who Catra is.

“Both the answers to that are Chris,” Catra replied plainly. “His journey is what got me thinking about this whole thing in the first place and it’s the one I want to accomplish most of all. Plus, after everything you told me the other day… I feel like you need this as much as me. Like I said, you reminded me a lot of him.”

“That simple, huh?” Adora asked with a teasing tone as Catra put her hands in her pockets.

“Well, the company would be nice, you know?” Catra shrugged. “Chris ran into a few people on his journey but he was alone for most of it. He never believed that the purpose of life solely came from human interaction.”

“You think otherwise?” Adora asked.

“I’m not sure. But I don’t hate the idea of the company. Would you prefer to go alone?” Catra asked.

“I’d have no idea what I’d be doing, so…” Adora chuckled, and Catra joined her in the gentle laughter. Even with those answers, Adora didn’t really feel like Catra was telling her everything. Sure, Chris could’ve inspired the journey, but Adora had a feeling he wasn’t the sole reason for Catra’s journey.

But the answers to those questions would have to remain a mystery a little longer, as Adora and Catra approached an apartment complex. “This is me. Thanks for walking me home,” Catra said to Adora.

“No problem. We’re travel buddies, so I consider it a practise round,” Adora grinned. Catra looked out to the sunset for a few more seconds, before looking back to Adora.

“I’m going to need a full confirmation from you by next week, okay? I know it’s soon, but that’s when it all begins. Think you can handle that?” Catra asked. Adora gave a nod, and Catra returned it before climbing up the stairs into an apartment of her own. Adora found it odd that she apparently lived with a single parent in such a small apartment, but then again, she didn’t know Catra’s financial situation too well other than her secret stash of adventure money.

Catra had given Adora a seven-day deadline, but she knew she didn’t need it. Adora made up her mind a while ago.

* * *

“I’m going to miss you so much!” Bow blubbered as he held Adora close in a tight hug.

That Friday afternoon, after school ended, Adora gave Glimmer and Bow her final decision. That she’d be gone on Monday and likely won’t be back for a while. She felt like her whole life had changed in less than a week, but she was happy about it. “I’ll miss you too,” Adora said through tearful eyes, nonetheless.

“You’ll let us know how you’re going, right?” Bow asked as he pulled away and looked at Adora. She nodded.

“I’ll write when I can. And I promise I’ll always remember who you are. Once I get back, it’ll be the same as always, okay?” Adora nodded, and Bow did the same. They shared one more tearful hug as Adora held him close.

She knew this must hurt for both of them. Even for herself, she felt in pain about it when she thought of her friends and how long it was going to take before she saw them again. But she also knew this was her only chance.

Adora went over to Glimmer, the latter of which was desperately trying to hold back tears as she looked up. “This is your final decision?” Glimmer asked.

“Yes. It is,” Adora responded sternly.

Glimmer looked down at the floor and let out a shuddered sigh, before nodding. “Then it is yours. I’ll support you in any way I can, Adora,” Glimmer said as she moved in and slowly wrapped her arms around her.

Bow joined in on the hug as Adora held her friends tight, simply letting the tears flow. “I’m gonna miss you all. But I swear this won’t be the last time you see me, okay?” Adora smiled. “All I ask is that you just… keep this to yourselves. You never saw me leave. You have no idea where I went. Okay?”

“Of course,” Bow nodded.

“I’ll do that as long as I know you’re safe, okay?” Glimmer replied. “If I get even a hint that you’re in danger, I’ll do my damn best to find you. That, I promise.”

“I wouldn’t expect any less,” Adora told her. The three friends held onto each other for as long as they could. They knew this would be the last time for a while that they could all be together like this. After today, things would be different for a while. Maybe even forever.

But they knew that they’d always have each other in some way or another, even if they were miles apart.

* * *

As the birds started to sing outside, Adora placed a small envelope on her bed. The walls of her bedroom held her in no more.

The envelope was simply addressed to her parents. Whenever they came home, they would read it and found out their daughter had decided to leave and wouldn’t know when she’d come back. Adora had told them the bare minimal, and pleaded with them not to track her down, but she knew they’d do everything in their power to anyway.

It would be a bad look for their child to go missing.

It was around four in the morning, and light was slowly beginning to pierce the sky as the morning sun began to rise. It was still dark, but that would change soon. Adora had spent the weekend shopping and packing what she needed. She hoped her parents would be home one last time, but alas, she knew it’d be a while before she could see them again.

Adora hoisted her large backpack on her shoulders and tightened the straps. She looked around the bedroom she had stayed in all her life. It had been cleaned up by her over the weekend, and the bedsheet was tucked in neatly. A lot of it had been cleared, mostly into her backpack.

Adora gave a small wave. “I’ll be back before you know it,” she said to her room, before leaving through the door. She walked through the familiar house, soon to be a distant memory, and grabbed one last apple from the fruit bowl in the kitchen. For good luck.

As she exited through the front door into the very, very early morning, she took a moment to look at the house one last time. Maybe it’d be different by the time she got back. Maybe it’d be the exact same. Either way, it’d be a sight to behold after… however long this journey would be.

“Hey Adora,” she heard a voice over her shoulder, and turned to see Catra standing on the other end of the street, a backpack similar in size to Adora’s. Heavy, but they’d get used to it eventually. Besides, taking a heavy backpack off at the end of a long day is one of the most joyous moments a person can experience.

“Hey partner,” Adora smiled as she looked to Catra. “I guess… this is it, huh?”

“I suppose so,” Catra chuckled. “I know this has only been a week-long build-up to you, but… well, I’ve been planning this for nearly three years now. My heart feels like it’s about to explode.”

“Out of excitement or anxiety?”

“Yes.”

Both women chuckled slightly, though Catra only laughed to push through the nervousness of it all. However, their moment was soon interrupted as Catra spotted a figure approaching them in the distance. Her heart rate spiked even higher, thinking they had already been caught.

“… Glimmer?” Adora exclaimed as she, too, spotted the figure. Catra looked to Adora with confusion.

“You know this person?” Catra asked. Adora nodded, and soon enough, the figure was well within sight.

“What’re you doing here?” Adora asked Glimmer as she approached the two of them. She looked between Adora and Catra with a stern expression, as if judging their very existence, before letting out a deep sigh.

“I just… came here to say one thing. To each of you,” Glimmer explained. “Adora… Please, for the love of everything, stay safe. I don’t want you getting hurt and I don’t want to lose you forever. I really, really care about you, and… you’re my friend. I want to see you again one day. Promise me that.”

Adora looked to her friend for a while. It was a big promise to make. She knew it might be tough to keep. Going completely unharmed was off the chart. But Adora definitely wanted to return home one day too. So, she nodded. “I promise you’ll see me again.”

Glimmer let out a gentle sigh of relief, before her eyes immediately shot to Catra. “Same thing applies to you. If anything… Anything bad happens to Adora…” Glimmer slowly approached Catra and looked up at her, trying to be as intimidating as possible. “I will kill you.”

Catra snorted. “I promise, she’ll be fine…”

However, Glimmer’s face was still stuck in a frown. “I’m not joking. I will literally kill you if anything bad happens to my friend.”

Catra felt a few tingles throughout her body, and she swallowed her pride for a few seconds as she nodded. “Understood,” she said, though she couldn’t help but hold back her laughter that a woman who had to go on the tips of her toes to get in Catra’s face was threatening to kill her.

“Good. Glad we’ve cleared that up,” Glimmer said with a malicious smile, before backing away from Catra. “You two, just… please be okay. Write as much as you can. I’m anxious at the moment, but I think I’ll settle eventually,” she explained.

“We promise,” Adora said with a smile, before wrapping Glimmer in a tight hug. Glimmer returned the hug, holding Adora as close as she could and running her hand through Adora’s hair. After a few minutes, she gave Adora a parting kiss on the cheek.

“I’ll see you one day. Okay?” Glimmer asked, sniffling slightly as she did her best to hold back the tears.

“I’ll be back before you know it,” Adora grinned. And finally, Adora and Catra turned, and took their first steps towards the great journey.

The two adventurers walked down the path away from Adora’s home, and headed west towards the first stop of this journey. Their first steps were marked by the sun breaking the horizon and bringing about a new day as they walked side by side.

Their journey had begun. They knew their destinations. But they could never predict their revelations, or how it would end. That was in the hands of fate.

The unknown is one of the scariest things in the world. But it can also be one of the most beautiful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all the lovely feedback on the first chapter! It means a lot to see!
> 
> Like Catra said in this chapter, if you haven't heard of Christopher McCandless, I would encourage you to keep it that way for now. I can't stop you from researching all about him, but he is a real person and his journey was real. As the story progresses, more facts about him will be revealed, and his story will unfold alongside Adora and Catra's. It just makes for a bit of fun!
> 
> Take care, y'all


	3. Texas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora and Catra take the first steps of their journey towards their first stop: Texas. They talk about monsters and Chris' past, and Catra comes out with a few secrets.

As the sun slowly began to reach its peak and afternoon neared, Adora and Catra climbed to the top of a gentle hill to see train tracks in the distance.

They had been walking for about the last seven hours, give or take a few breaks. Adora was still getting used to having to carry a pack so big, but she wouldn’t exactly call herself out of shape. More that this is the most physical activity she’s done in a while.

By now, her teachers would’ve found out that she missed her first exam. It was an instant fail for her, and Adora knew that. But exams were about the last thing on her mind as she heard Catra give a small gasp upon seeing the tracks.

“Good, we made it,” Catra grinned. “If all goes well, we should be seeing a freight train roll by in about… three minutes,” Catra said as she checked her small watch. Adora was just relieved for the small break as she wiped the sweat off her forehead. “You doing okay?”

“Yeah… Sorry if I’m slowing us down. I’ll get used to this,” Adora apologized as Catra put her watch away.

“You’re fine. I’m a bit puffed too, but I’ve just had more experience in hiking and such,” Catra admitted as she looked out towards the distance to see if the train would be coming anytime soon. The two women were still in Georgia, but once they got on this train, it should be almost a straight set to Texas.

“It’s not like I’ve never exercised a day in my life, mind you,” Adora attempted to defend herself.

“Clearly…” Catra mumbled as she took a second to look at Adora’s strong arms. If anything, she’s definitely done strength training before. But Catra quickly had to look away and stop herself from going into a trance.

“I bet my classmates are wondering what’s going on with me. I rarely miss a day of school. An exam is a whole other thing,” Adora scoffed.

“Geez, I haven’t been to school in years… Is it still the same judgemental shithole as when I left it?” Catra asked and Adora gave a shrug.

“It helps when you stop giving a crap what everyone thinks of you,” Adora smirked. Catra looked to Adora for a few more seconds, almost in admiration, before her eyes looked to the distance and, sure enough, she spotted something.

“Here comes our ride,” Catra grinned. Adora looked to see a large train rapidly approaching them. The sounds of it chugging along could be heard for miles out, which helped with the preparation they needed to do. “You remember what we have to do, right?”

“Run like hell, throw the bags on one of the freight cars and jump in,” Adora recited word for word. “Oh, and try not to fall over face first into the dirt.”

“Major emphasis on that last part. One of us leaving the other behind is about as bad as things can get. And we’ll want to hurry, because…” Catra nodded towards the west, and Adora could see that, in the distance, the tracks led to a bridge. The bridge was built over a deep, deep drop into a river below.

“So we’ll probably want to get on before the train crosses that bridge, huh?” Adora asked with an almost sarcastic tone and Catra could only chuckle, before looking back to the train.

Catra waited a few more seconds. The anticipation built up in their gut. They had to wait until the driver wouldn’t see them running towards one of the cars, so it was a few seconds of agonizing delay. Catra’s brows were scrunched up in focus as she tried to time this so that they had as much opportunity to board as possible.

“So… Once we board this train, I guess this is it. There’s basically no going back,” Adora commented, feeling her heart race immensely. Catra looked to her.

“You feeling okay?” Catra asked and Adora nodded, jumping on the spot slightly.

“Only a little bit terrified,” she admitted. “You’re going to catch me if I fall, right?”

Catra gave a warm smile and nodded. “Of course. We’re travel buddies. No one gets left behind.”

Adora smiled back at Catra, and the two women shared a warm exchange. Catra’s eyes and courage were exactly the medicine Adora needed to push through the nerves of it all. A journey doesn’t really start until you can’t turn back from it. Once her feet were on this train, it was set in motion.

Adora took a breath, and readied herself.

And then, Catra yelled. “Go!”

Adora and Catra sprinted as fast as they could with the heavy packs weighing them down. They stumbled down the gentle hill towards the tracks, making sure to spread their arms and keep their balance as they ran as fast as they could.

Unsurprisingly, Catra almost found it too easy to run towards one of the open cars which seemed to only have a few wooden boxes in it. She ran alongside the speeding car, removing the pack from her shoulders and tossing it inside, before leaping into the car.

Catra felt the cold steel of the car against her skin, and let out a sigh of relief. She made it. Now it was up to Adora. Catra quickly got to her feet and looked out to see Adora still running alongside the car, just a little bit behind.

Catra looked the other way to see the bridge rapidly approaching. “Shit!” Catra exclaimed, realizing they had only a few seconds before she either had to jump off, or leave Adora behind. However, the blonde woman was not giving up.

Adora took off her pack and tossed it at Catra, who just caught it. She placed it alongside her pack, and quickly went to help Adora. Without her pack, Adora was able to catch up to the car, but Catra saw the bridge rapidly approaching.

It would’ve been easy to leave Adora behind. She’d suffer no consequences. No repercussions. After all, she had always planned this trip for one. Leaving Adora behind and taking all her supplies may have helped majorly in her favor.

But Catra never once had the thought of leaving her travel partner behind.

She stretched out a hand. “I’ll catch you!” Catra yelled. The bridge was a few seconds out.

“You promise?!” Adora cried.

“Always!” Catra returned.

Adora only needed that one word. She made the leap towards the car, and she would’ve not only missed it, but she likely would’ve leapt straight into the river below and into her grave. But before Adora fell, she felt Catra’s strong grip on her wrist.

Catra grunted, and used everything in her power to pull Adora onto the car just as the train started to cross the bridge. Adora laid on top of Catra after she pulled her in, both women panting from the stress and exhaustion of it all.

“You okay?” Catra asked the woman laying on top of her. Soon enough, Adora rolled off her, laying on her back and putting a hand over her heart, trying to calm herself down.

“Apart from nearly falling into that river and dying? Yeah, I’m feeling pretty fucking fantastic,” Adora said with a laugh. Catra snorted in amusement as they both took a moment to catch their breath. Slowly, Catra was the first to lean up and look at the vast river before her.

The sun sparkled onto the water floor, and the blue color of river reflected onto Catra’s eyes as she grinned. “Finally…” She whispered.

“No going back,” Adora grinned, looking up at her travel partner.

“No going back,” Catra replied.

The journey had officially begun, and the two women laid in that car of the freight train, rapidly making their way west towards Texas.

* * *

“Oh shit, I had no idea they had a guitar here.”

Adora turned to face Catra as she dug through one of the many wooden boxes on the car they laid in. They had watched the sun sink below the horizon as the train continued to speed through the night, and Catra’s boredom turned into curiosity.

As Adora ran a comb through her long, untied hair, Catra came over with an acoustic guitar and sat next to her, hanging her legs outside the car as they felt the wind against their skins. “You know how to play it?” Adora asked.

“It’s been a while, but… I don’t suppose it can hurt to try,” Catra shrugged. She plucked at a few strings and a few awkward notes rung out. Adora took the time to tie her hair back up into its familiar ponytail as Catra tuned the guitar slightly.

“You going to sing for me?” Adora asked with a smirk.

“You wish,” Catra scoffed, before resting her hand on the strings.

Eventually, she started to play a small melody. It was a bit light in tone and echoed out as a continuous array of notes as Adora looked up to the stars in the night sky. The train rocked slightly as Catra focused on her playing.

Adora wondered what her thirteen-year-old self would think of this moment in time. This beginning of an adventure into Alaska, and all it took was a leap onto a freight train. She’d eventually have to sleep on this train, since Texas was still about fifteen hours off.

But the time it took gave Adora an appreciation for the sights many people never saw in their lives. She watched mountains and rivers pass by, and even the occasional distant town. The nature that was rarely seen was often the most beautiful.

Adora looked ahead at the tracks, and soon, she gasped. “Tunnel!” Adora exclaimed, and quickly, Adora and Catra brought their legs in from the car. If they hanged them out when the tunnel came, they’d likely lose them.

“Good spotting,” Catra complimented as the walls of the tunnel suddenly blocked all the views of the world. It made absolutely everything pitch black, so much so that Adora couldn’t even see her own hands in front of herself.

“You scared of the dark?” Adora asked, trying to get a sense of Catra’s position in relation to her own.

“Nah. You?” Catra asked, her voice to the right of Adora.

“I used to sleep with a night-light. I always thought I had some monster in my closet,” Adora admitted. “Haven’t done that in a decade, but… you know, if it turns out I did have a monster in my closet, I’d probably make friends with them.”

“That so?” Catra asked.

“Yeah. Who says ‘monsters’ have to be bad all the time?” Adora shrugged. “I read a lot of books about what people consider ‘monsters’ and I just can’t see where they’re coming from. Frankenstein’s monster was practically abandoned after his creation and rejected by everyone simply because he looked hideous. Dracula was a ‘monster’ because the author of the original Dracula novel was scared of bisexual men that came from the East to invade Britain to ‘revert their evolution’, like reverse colonialism. I feel like some of what people call ‘monsters’ need to be cut a bit of slack. Because I often find the real monsters look and act the exact same as any other person.”

“That’s an interesting insight. Are you one of those overthinkers too?” Catra asked.

“Probably. I just pay attention a lot during English. I’m sure some people would refer to Chris as a monster, too?” Adora asked.

“Well, some people have tried to follow in his footsteps before and died doing it, so some people call him responsible for their deaths. From what I hear, the Alaskan population tend to think of him as a dangerous moron. A lot of people blindly go where he went and get stuck or dead,” Catra admitted. “And yes, I know how ironic that sounds. But difference is, most of those people went alone and untrained. I’ve worked hard for this. And by the time we get there, I think we’ll be more than ready.”

“I trust you. Don’t worry,” Adora smiled, though Catra couldn’t see it.

“If anything, the real monster in Chris’ life would be his dad, Walt,” Catra explained. “To put it blunt, Walt led somewhat of a double life. He was ‘married’ to Chris’ current mother when she gave birth to Chris and his sister, Carine. But at the same time, Walt was actually legally married to another woman, with whom he had six kids in the past. Chris practically had six half-siblings that he didn’t know about for a long time, because his father led a double-life with two different women and two different set of kids. When Chris and his sister were born, they were born under a relationship that was basically an affair, which rendered them as… well, bastard children. This whole thing was one of the big events that shaped Chris’ view on life. Might have even been one of the reasons he left.”

“Wow… Yeah, that’s really got to mess with his head, huh?” Adora exclaimed.

“Along with that, Chris’ sister also wrote a book detailing her childhood with her brother. She described the… abuse that they took from Walt thanks to his alcoholism. It’s… it’s really, really bad. Of course, the parents denied everything, but I think they’re full of shit. Chris disappeared for a lot of reasons. His homelife had to be a big one. And after hearing the suffering he and his sister endured… Yeah, it’s hard to blame him,” Catra explained. As she spoke, the train emerged from the tunnel, and Adora watched the night sky reflect onto Catra’s face as she spoke.

Catra looked out the train car and towards the distant views. She spoke with a sense of familiarity. She hugged her left leg close to her chest as she spoke, and Adora struggled to find the words to respond to all that. “Sorry. Was that too much?” Catra asked with a worried tone.

“No… No, it’s important to know,” Adora sighed. “I just feel sorry for him. No one deserves to suffer under their parents’ hands. I mean, my parents were strangers, but they never intentionally hurt me. I just… I just can’t understand why anyone would willingly want to make their own child suffer. What joy does one even gain from that?”

“… Who knows…?” Catra sighed, her voice hoarse. Adora looked to her travel partner, and she wasn’t sure why, but in that moment, she desperately wanted to give Catra a hug. Even though she was describing Chris’ abuse, it was almost like she had witnessed it first-hand. Adora wanted to hold her and tell her everything would be okay. But she held herself back.

“Anyway…” Catra shook her head, and looked to Adora with a soft smile. “You’ll learn even more about Chris as we go along. He had a lot of motivations for leaving. I think you’ll come to understand a lot of them along the way. But for now… You should get some sleep. I’ll keep watch.”

“Keep watch?” Adora asked.

“Yeah. You never know who else is on this train. If someone like the conductor spots us on here and catches us off guard, they’ll throw us off or maybe even beat the shit out of us,” Catra spoke casually, and Adora’s eyes widened at how monotonous Catra said that. “Oh, don’t worry. I’ll make sure that won’t happen to us, okay?”

“Want me to take watch later?” Adora asked.

“After you wake up. I don’t care how long you need to clock out. I promise,” Catra spoke. Adora looked at her travel partner for a few more seconds, before slowly nodding. She used her pack as a pillow and rested the side of her head on it.

Slowly, Adora closed her eyes as Catra looked out towards the distance and watched the night fly by. “Good night, travel buddy,” Adora spoke as she slowly drifted into unconsciousness.

Catra looked down to Adora. She smiled. Adora looked peaceful as she went to sleep. This woman she had meet only a week ago had almost changed her life and the direction of this whole journey. She’d have to thank her one day. Once she figured out how.

“Good night, Adora.”

* * *

When the afternoon rolled around the next day, the train rolled by a small town. Adora had woken Catra as she spotted a town nearby, and she figured it had been enough time since they boarded the train.

Catra had checked her map for a bit after awakening and found that the town they were in was in fact, a part of Texas. They had been on the train for nearly twenty-four hours, and finally, they had arrived at their first stop.

“We’re going to need to jump, by the way,” Catra said casually as the train began to near the town. Adora looked to her with bewilderment, but after a while, she realized that she was right.

“I probably should’ve realized sooner…” Adora mumbled to herself. Catra slapped a hand on Adora’s back, trying to encourage her.

“We’ll be hitting grass, so it shouldn’t be too hard! Just roll as you land. Trust me,” Catra grinned. Adora looked at the grass speeding pass her, and took a few deep breaths. It had to be now or never. Adora had to trust that she’d be fine. Besides, who ever heard of a traveller getting injured on their second day?

“Three… Two… One…” Catra braced her legs, and suddenly, threw her pack off the train. “Go!” She yelled as she jumped. Adora quickly followed suit, throwing her pack off and leaping off the train.

She quickly tucked her chin to her chest and brought her arms across her chest in an x-formation. She felt her shoulder smash against the ground and she rolled a multitude of times, the wind blasting pass her ear as she rolled, almost making her dizzy before her body came to a still. She took a few breaths, and quickly inspected herself for any broken bones.

“You good?” Catra asked from a few feet away. Adora only had a few small cuts, but nothing serious at all.

“Yep! You?” Adora asked.

“Couldn’t have been a smoother landing!” Catra chuckled. Adora let out a breath, recovering from what she considered to be a near death experience as she stood up and went for her pack.

“So this is the town you saw on your map?” Adora asked.

“Yep. I saw a large sign from the train and it matches. I think we’re officially in Texas,” Catra grinned. In that moment, it suddenly hit Adora all at once that she was finally out of Georgia. She was in a state she’d never been before. This was the farthest she’d ever been from home.

She couldn’t help but grin at that thought as she walked with Catra towards the town.

“Hopefully they take kindly to strangers,” Catra said as the two of them entered the town through the front gate. It was small, with a few rustic buildings and an orange gravel road to join them all. Tufts of grass were off the beaten path, and there was the usual suspects of a restaurant and a motel with vacancy.

It was isolated from contemporary society, but in a way, Catra felt positive about it. “So far, so good. No confederate flags, so I think we’re in the clear on that one,” Catra commented as she and Adora walked through town.

A few people took notice of them. They could see workers from within restaurants look up and a few children gazed at them. But it didn’t feel threatening. More curious. Adora felt only a tad uncomfortable, but she always felt that way when people stared at her for too long.

“We should probably get a motel to put our packs away and stay for the night. Then see if there’s anything we can do in the meantime,” Catra spoke. “We won’t be in Texas for too long. Chris kind of breezed through here towards Arizona. He had his car for a while.”

“Hey, maybe we end up liking this place and staying for a while longer?” Adora suggested. Catra smirked at her.

“Maybe we do.”

Adora and Catra entered into the large motel building. It was a little bit run down, but it felt almost like home. Homes are never perfectly clean or pristine, but the signs of there being people is what gave it that mood of comfort.

“I’ll take our bags up,” Catra said to Adora as they entered.

“You sure?” Adora asked as Catra took her pack in her hand.

“Yeah. I’ll get a room for us,” Catra smiled.

“What do you want me to do?” Adora asked, but Catra gave an answer in the form of a nod towards the pinboard. It was cluttered with events and political signs. Adora looked to see a large paper sign pinned directly in the middle, pinned atop everything else.

“A concert, huh?” Adora chuckled, seeing that event schedule for the next three hours. It started just recently and would go into the night, including an after-party. Adora had never really gone to a concert before. But today was full of firsts for everything. She looked to Catra. “I’ll see you there?”

“Sure thing,” Catra nodded, before heading to the counter to book their rooms. Adora left the motel as Catra talked to the person behind the counter, and soon enough, she could hear clapping in the distance.

Adora headed down the gravel street alone, looking at the town around her. She knew this was the only form of people for miles out, and the thought both comforted her and scared her. She had gone to a place she’d never been to before and likely never will return to after she left. This was her experience. Her time.

She rounded a corner to find the small concert being played on a grassy field. A small stage had been set up, and a single person with a guitar sat atop the stage. Everyone else was laying in the grass amongst themselves, with small groups strewn about and some food being shared.

Adora tried not to stick out as she took a seat near the back corner and listened to the gentle guitar concert. The music was enough for her to feel peace in a town she only arrived at a few minutes ago. She looked up to the sky and saw an orange glow reflecting against the clouds.

Adora saw someone else enter the concert after a few minutes, and she turned to see Catra looking for her. Adora waved a hand in her direction, and Catra went over, taking a seat next to Adora on the grass. “Turns out, we’re the only ones in that motel at the moment. The woman behind the counter was super, super nice. I think she appreciated that someone had come along.”

“So I guess they do take kindly to strangers around me,” Adora said in a stereotypical southern accent. Catra snorted, trying to stifle her laughter as the concert played on.

Adora took a chance to pull out her phone from her pocket. No signal could be found, which made sense. She was outside of her own state now, and she knew there’d be no technological form of communication with those back home. She’d have to write a letter as soon as possible.

“So… I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that,” Catra pointed to the phone.

“My phone?” Adora asked.

“Ours,” Catra pulled out her own phone from her back pocket. “We… kind of got to ditch them.”

“Why’s that?”

“Well, there’s the obvious ‘Chris didn’t have a phone’, but… I don’t know. I guess it’s like the last bit of our old lives. More sentimental than anything. Plus, I’m always paranoid about getting tracked,” Catra admitted. “You don’t have to.”

“No… I think I might,” Adora nodded. She figured she wouldn’t want to use her phone for much anyway, given that having no signal basically rendered it almost useless compared to everything else she had in her pack. Catra grinned in response.

“If you’re sure…” She stood up and offered a hand to Adora. The latter woman chuckled, taking Catra’s hand and following her out of the concert. They walked towards the highway near town, which was as barren and empty as its roads.

The town really was small. Adora and Catra stood alone next to the highway, their phones in their hands and their eyes directed towards the distance, where a desert stretched out as far as the eye could see.

“Just toss them, I guess?” Adora asked. Catra nodded.

“On three?” Catra turned to Adora. She gave a gentle nod, and both women reeled their hands back, their phones clutched tight. “One… Two… Three!”

And in that moment, they both threw their phones as hard as they could towards the highway. Both phones gave a small arc, before suddenly crashing down on the highway. Adora saw hers smash into a few pieces, whilst Catra’s bounced a few times. “You’re definitely not getting that back!” Catra laughed in reference to Adora’s smashed phone.

Adora laughed as she looked to her smashed phone. Something she had used so often to talk with her friends and catch up on the world, now rendered into a thousand tiny little pieces that could never be used again.

And in that moment, Adora realized she had kept another promise to herself.

* * *

“Sorry about the whole ‘one bed’ situation. This was the cheapest room, and I didn’t want to spend all that money so soon.”

As the night rolled around and the concert turned into a bunch of drunk people chatting to each other, Adora and Catra realized that sleeping on a train did them no favors in terms of how well they rested. A bed, more than anything, looked like heaven.

“It’s fine,” Adora shrugged. There was only one bed for the two of them in the small motel room. It was big enough to support their bodies, but for some reason, Adora felt a bit embarrassed with sharing a bed with Catra.

Adora sat down on the bed as Catra made her way to the bathroom. “I’m just going to have a shower while I still can,” Catra explained as she closed the bathroom door behind herself.

“Alright,” Adora replied, before looking around the small room. She took a few moments to go over to her pack, digging in deep to find a fresh pair of clothes for tomorrow. She prepared herself for hot weather, though she had no idea if they’d be staying in town or not.

Adora stripped most of her clothes off and picked out a long, comfortable shirt she often wore to bed from her pack. She could hear the shower running from the bathroom as she laid on the bed and turned on the small TV in front of the bed.

She checked the news just in case, but unsurprisingly, no news about the two of them had gone viral just yet. Adora heard the shower cut as she scrolled through the channels, but soon enough, she found nothing noteworthy to keep on, especially this late.

The bathroom door opened and Catra emerged, drying her long, bushy hair whilst she had a towel wrapped around her lean body. “You going to shower, too?” Catra asked as Adora pulled the sheets over herself.

“Probably in the morning,” she shrugged. Catra went over to her pack, and Adora took the hint to turn the other way as Catra stripped to get changed.

Adora’s mind suddenly filled with the realization that Catra was naked right behind her. She never dared to look, but the thought was still there. She wasn’t sure why she was blushing about that. She decided to try and push those thoughts away.

Eventually, Adora felt Catra plop down onto the bed with a sigh. “Day one, and we’re not dead. Good start,” Catra commented as she and Adora laid side by side in that soft bed. Adora smiled as she rolled over and looked to Catra.

“I really can never thank you enough for bringing me along. You… You’ve helped me so much,” Adora beamed. Catra looked down at Adora, and couldn’t help but blush at just how cute she looked when she was thankful.

“I feel like shit, if I’m honest,” Catra replied. “Not for bringing you along! Just… Well, I’m aware that I barely tell you anything about myself. And that’s unfair.”

“Catra, your past is your own right to tell. Yes, I’d like to know more… But it’s not my place to force that,” Adora spoke sternly. Catra looked up at the ceiling as Adora spoke, and she wondered what she did to deserve an angel in the same bed as her.

“How about… a few facts to start off?” Catra offered. Adora immediately sprang up, frantically nodding with excitement. “Alright… Well, back when I was in school, I did majorly well in P.E. Like, passed with flying colors. It was the only class I scored higher than a D- in.”

“I could kinda tell. You’re really agile about the way you move,” Adora commented. “I only go to the gym every now and then. Mostly for strength training.”

“Oh, I can tell,” Catra replied, glancing at Adora’s strong arms again. “Uh… I’ve been with a single parent my whole life. Her name is Shadow Weaver. No siblings. No other parents I know of.”

“I see…” Adora wanted a bit more insight into Catra’s home life, but she could tell even saying that was bordering on the edge of major discomfort for Catra. She decided to remain silent for now. In her own time.

“And… I, uh…” Catra cleared her throat. “I’m a lesbian.”

Adora had a feeling, based off the pride pin on her bag. “Cool,” Adora said with a small smile.

Catra turned to face Adora. “You’re okay with that?” She asked, and Adora was surprised to hear that Catra had a tone of relief in her voice.

“Were you… worried about telling me that?” Adora asked.

“I… kind of? I mean, you never know what someone’s reaction might be… I figured you were cool with it, but…” Catra shrugged. “Just gotta make sure, you know?”

“Well… Thanks for trusting me that much,” Adora replied. “My friend, Bow, he’s bisexual. I’ve attended a few Pride Parades with him and such. I really love the community that’s built there.”

“Are you LGBTQ+?” Catra asked. “Don’t feel like you have to answer that. Forcing someone to come out is fucked up. I’m just curious.”

“It’s fine,” Adora smiled. “Honestly? I… really do not know. I’ve never thought hard about that kind of stuff. I mean, I guess if anything, I have a preference towards women. But I can’t tell if it’s romantic or platonic. I guess I’m just waiting for the right person.”

“I don’t think you need to find a label for whatever you’re feeling. Just… feel how you feel. A label is convenient, sure. But there shouldn’t be a rush to put everyone into neat little groups,” Catra commented. “I knew I was a lesbian a few years back, and I’m pretty confident in that label. But you feel how you want to feel,” Catra spoke with confidence. However, she soon started to scratch the back of her head as she chuckled. “Uh… geez, that turned into a lecture, huh?”

“I like when you talk a lot,” Adora smiled up at Catra. Catra suddenly felt redness rush to her face. Dammit, Adora.

“I… like hearing you talk too,” Catra responded. Their eyes met. They felt like they were gazing into each other’s soul. Catra almost wanted to reach out and take Adora’s hand in her own. Hold her close as they slept.

But she soon shook her head. Whatever feelings she had were ridiculous. Adora was her travel partner. No more. “I guess we should get some rest, huh?” Adora said.

“Probably,” Catra replied as she pulled the sheets over her body and laid down on the bed next to Adora. “Oh, I forgot to mention, but this town does have a place where we can hire a car. Might be useful for getting to Arizona.”

“I… Don’t know how to drive very well,” Adora admitted.

“Oh, don’t worry. We’ll be fine,” Catra responded. Adora knew from the tone of her voice that she could be trusted when she made statements like that. “Good night, Adora. Thanks for being my travel partner.”

“Good night, Catra. Thanks for being an amazing person.”

Their chests fluttered with warmth and passion. They laid together as travel partners, and slept in a place far, far away from home.

And yet, they felt like they had already found a new home.


	4. Arizona

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora and Catra 'hire' a car out of Texas and head west towards their next destination of Arizona. They camp out in the desert, and have their first encounter with the law.

Adora awoke from a dream about flying.

She blinked upon awakening, the softness of the bed almost sucking her in as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and looked up at the ceiling. Though the curtains were closed, the light still pierced through the slight gaps of it. Adora checked the clock next to her, and realized it was ten in the morning.

“Talk about sleeping in…” She sighed, leaning up and tilting her head to the side, stretching it out a bit to get rid of the ache. As she looked over to the other end of the bed, she found it to be empty. Catra had left at some point. Adora felt her heart jolt slightly, but she then spotted Catra’s pack still in the room.

Of course Catra wouldn’t abandon her. Why would she?

Adora raked a finger through her hair as she let out a sigh, swinging her legs over the side of the bed and resting her feet on the gentle carpet. She moved over to the curtain, sliding it open a bit to see the town, active and alive. She felt like a ghoul compared to the rest of them.

Adora closed the curtain back up and went over to her clothes that she’d picked out the previous day. Like predicted, she could already feel the absolute heat of the weather from outside. She stripped off her long top and went to put on her red t-shirt and black shorts.

In the middle of changing, she suddenly heard a knock at the door. “Wakey wakey, sleepy head!” Catra’s voice rung from the other side. Adora thanked everything for the lock on the door, since Catra walking in at that moment may have been… a tad awkward.

Would it have been? Adora wondered if she was assuming things too early. It’s not like they were in a relationship.

As she got the rest of her clothes on, she went to unlock the door. “Yeah, I know I slept in. You can laugh now,” Adora groaned as Catra stepped inside.

“Well, if I did that, I’d be called a hypocrite,” Catra shrugged. However, after a few seconds, she let out a slight snort. “It’s still funny though.”

“Where have you been off to?” Adora asked as she took a moment to fix up her own hair. Catra was wearing a sleeveless shirt and denim shorts, so it seemed that she, too, was already prepared for this kind of weather. She held a hand up, and in it, Adora spotted a set of keys.

“What’re those for?” Adora asked. Catra jangled the keys in her hand as she smirked.

“Yours truly managed to hire a car out of here. We can be speeding to Arizona without a care in the world. This highway is absolutely deserted according to the townspeople,” Catra said as she went over to her pack to sort out her things. “Besides, I kind of feeling like this community is tightly knit. We won’t really do well helping out around here. Unless you want to stay?”

“I don’t really mind. You said Chris didn’t spend much time in Texas anyway. I think I get what you’re saying, we really don’t fit well in here,” Adora shrugged. Catra put the keys in her pocket as she zipped up her bag, slinging it over her shoulder.

“The man that I hired the car from was wondering why I didn’t bring my boyfriend along on this trip,” Catra chuckled as Adora grabbed her pack too. “Pretending to be straight is always so fascinating. Why yes, I do have a crush, and his name is… Bob…” Catra snickered.

“I would’ve assumed they’d think we were a couple or something,” Adora admitted as they began to leave the motel room, locking the door behind them as they talked.

“Nah, we’re just gals being pals. Nothing to see here,” Catra spoke in a sarcastic tone as they went to the front desk, dropping the key off. Adora gave a small thanks to the woman behind the counter as they left.

“Well… We are, aren’t we?” Adora asked rather bluntly. Catra felt her cheeks flush red slightly.

“Y… Yeah! We are! I was just… making a dumb joke,” Catra spoke quietly as her voice soon trailed off. Adora couldn’t help but find Catra being embarrassed rather cute. Though, she wasn’t quite sure what Catra was embarrassed about.

Questions for another time.

Adora and Catra walked through the populated town and tried not to draw too much attention to themselves as they finally arrived at a large garage. Catra spotted the car she hired already parked outside for them. “It’s an old model, but it’ll do,” Catra said as she slid the key into the driver side door, opening it up.

“You sure you know how to drive this?” Adora asked as she put her pack in the back seat. Catra hopped into the driver’s seat, looking around herself and getting a feel for the car, resting her wrists on the steering wheel to get an idea of where to adjust her seat position.

“Yes…” Catra mumbled. “But not legally… I didn’t get a chance to go in for a license. I only have a fake one in my possession.”

“And if we get pulled over?” Adora asked as she sat in the passenger seat next to Catra.

“That’s a problem we hopefully won’t have to run into,” Catra said as she put the key into the ignition, turning it and lighting up the dash. Finally, the car started to rumble as the engine kicked into gear. “Try to look on the bright side, Adora.”

“If you say so…” Adora sighed as Catra shifted the gear stick around and slowly pressed her foot down, the car moving forward towards the highway. “So, you say we hired this, right?”

“With a fake license, yes,” Catra answered as she looked left and right on the highway, before merging into the right lane and heading west towards their next stop of Arizona.

“Don’t people normally return hired cars?” Adora asked as Catra picked up a comfortable speed of seventy miles-per-hour.

“You’re correct. We’re supposed to return this in a week’s time,” Catra answered nonchalantly as she tuned the radio into anywhere with some music, just for the background noise.

“And something tells me we won’t be able to do that,” Adora scoffed as she realized what Catra just pulled off. The driver returned with a slight grin as she kept her eyes on the road.

“It’ll be a tragedy, for sure,” Catra spoke with a deep, fake sigh. Eventually, she let out a snort, before bursting into laughter. Adora couldn’t help but smile at how adorably evil her laughter was, and eventually, she had to join in herself.

“You’re a real son of a bitch, aren’t you?” Adora asked between her laughter, and Catra didn’t hesitate to nod.

“Damn proud of it too!”

As the car sped along the highway towards Arizona, Adora couldn’t but feel her gut fill with warmth and joy as she shared in the laughter with her travel partner. It was almost too good to be true. This was their journey. They were alone for miles out and had nothing but the radio and each other’s company.

The happiness of it all was almost enough to smother deep anxiety in Adora’s gut.

* * *

“Uh oh. I don’t think cars are meant to make that noise.”

Adora had her feet hanging out of the passenger side window, her sunglasses on and her back against the lower half of the seat as Catra spoke up for the first time in a few hours. Most of the previous day had been spent driving, with a small power nap as a break during the night.

As afternoon rolled around on the day after, Catra began to hear the engine give out its last few dying breaths, rocking the car slightly as it coughed and groaned. “You said this was an old model, right?” Adora asked, taking off her sunglasses as Catra pulled over onto the side of the highway, feeling the car slowly lose momentum.

“Yeah… I think I gave the poor old bastard a few hours too many,” Catra mumbled as she undid her seatbelt, opening up the door and heading towards the hood of the car. Some smoke emanated from the hood, and Catra already had low hopes for the car’s future.

She put her fingers underneath the front of hood, searching out for a way to open it as Adora went to retrieve their packs from the backseat. Eventually, Catra was able to unlock the hood and rip it open, instantly hitting herself with a face full of smoke.

Catra recoiled instantly, coughing heavily. “You okay?” Adora asked as she went over to Catra, who was trying to clear out the smoke that had gotten into her lungs.

“Yeah…” Catra coughed one more time, before spitting on the ground to get the taste of smoke out of her mouth. “You wouldn’t happen to be an engineer, right?” Catra asked as she looked at the old, worn-down engine.

“I’ve never even seen the engine of a car. I think you’d have more luck asking a five-year-old,” Adora admitted as she tried to flick away the smoke with her hand. “On the plus side, at least we have a legitimate reason for not being able to return it?”

“Hey, you took my advice,” Catra smiled as Adora handed her pack over. Catra unzipped the top of her bag, digging around a bit. She had to put her arm in deep, before managing to get her hands on a screwdriver.

“What’re you doing with that?” Adora asked as Catra got on her knees before the front of the car, beginning to unscrew its license plate.

“Just as a precaution. We don’t know who might be tracking us,” Catra said as she used her thumb and index finger once the screw stuck out enough to undo it the rest of the way. She managed to yank the front license plate off, putting it in her pack. “I’ll be able to ditch it in some trash once we’re out of this state.”

“Do you know where we are, anyway?” Adora asked as Catra went around to the back of the car, doing the same to the rear plates.

“If our luck is good, we’ll be in Arizona and pretty damn close to where I wanted to go,” Catra said as she let out one final grunt, yanking the other license plate off and putting it in her pack. “If our luck is shit, we might be in New Mexico.”

Catra pulled her map out of her pack and unrolled it onto the dirt floor below, her fingers now covered in muck and dry dirt from the handywork she had to do. Adora looked down at the map as she put her bag over her shoulders.

Catra looked up at the sun for a bit, before looking back at the map. “Looks like our positive vibes helped us. We’re about an hour and a half out from where we want to go,” Catra said as she rolled the map back up.

“You study cartography or something?” Adora asked as Catra zipped her pack back up, slinging the straps back on her shoulders and adjusting them.

“I had all the time in the world after I ditched school to study what I wanted to study. Had to know maps like the back of my hand if I ever wanted a chance to survive out here,” Catra explained as she began to head off-road and into the desert. “We’re heading towards a place where Chris had to ditch his car.”

“Why would he want to abandon the car?” Adora asked as she followed Catra.

“Well, he didn’t. He loved his Datsun, the car, a lot. Wouldn’t trade it for the world. But the car got caught in a flash flood and the engine got fucked,” Catra said. “He buried a bunch of his possessions after that and burned all the cash he had on him. A hundred-and-sixty dollars turned into ash.”

“Seems like Chris never believed in money, I guess. And yet you have ten-thousand dollars on you,” Adora observed.

“I take inspiration from Chris’ path, but I don’t intend to follow every single thing he did to a T. Some of what he did put him at a major disadvantage. One of those things was his flat-out refusal to take in any form of cash from anyone,” Catra said. “Yeah, wealth, cash and money are a social construct, but it’s one we have to follow, unfortunately.”

“I see where Chris was coming from, at least. Money has always caused a lot more grief than it ever needed to. Never helps when you’ve got the top one-percent hoarding more money than anyone even deserves,” Adora sighed.

“Don’t worry. The rich will be served as a three-course meal one day,” Catra chuckled.

As Adora and Catra trekked through the barren desert, the sun slowly began to sink below the horizon, turning the bright blue sky into a deep, blood red. The sweat that ran down their bodies almost turned into boiling water as their shadows cast darkness on the cracked desert floor.

They both remembered to pack as much water as they could, so that wasn’t a major issue for them. The heat just caused discomfort, including the packs they carried sticking to their back thanks to all the sweat built up in their shirts.

But the hike was done after a little more than an hour. They spotted a steep, ninety-degree slope in the distance, almost like a wall of dirt that stretched for a few feet. A radical change in altitude that casted a shadow onto the lower ground. “This is it… Unless I’m already having hallucinations…” Catra panted, pointing to the small cliff.

“I wouldn’t blame mirages just yet…” Adora chuckled. The sun had slowly almost sank completely below the horizon as the world turned to darkness, meaning they had a few more minutes of light to set up camp.

“Well, if my directions were accurate… this is where Chris’ Datsun was found by a few rangers,” Catra explained as she and Adora pulled out their equipment to pitch their tents. “No signs of a struggle were found in the abandoned car, so it was the first piece of evidence that Chris had willingly ran away and wasn’t kidnapped.”

“I guess his parents were wondering just where he went,” Adora observed as she clicked together the flexible poles and began to push them through the soft material of the tent.

“That’s right. When he initially left, he did it without telling anyone. He hadn’t sent a letter or anything to his parents in a while, so they went to visit him to check in. Only to find that his apartment had been placed for rent, and he had been missing for months,” Catra said as she was able to put her tent up relatively easily.

“How’d they react?” Adora asked.

“Hiring a private investigator. Asking around. Informing the law. The usual, I suppose. If you ask me, his parents were more worried about their image than their son’s safety,” Catra shook her head as she helped Adora with her own tent. “I do feel sorry for Chris’ sister, though. She suffered along with him during their childhood and she was scared for him after he ran away. She understood why he left, but I think she was the one that was hurt most by his departure.”

“I hope she’s alright these days,” Adora expressed empathy for Carine. “I don’t have any siblings of my own.”

“Neither,” Catra patted her hands clean of dirt as the camp was set up. “I hear siblings can be pretty special. Or they can be a major pain in the ass.”

Catra stretched her arms above her head after finishing setting up camp. “Want me to see if I can go set up a fire of sorts?” Adora asked as Catra yawned.

“If you can. No pressure though,” Catra shrugged. Adora began to rummage through her pack for materials, and Catra watched her. Even though the world was dark, she could see the clear outlines of Adora’s face. She could see her travel partner.

Catra wondered if she’d consider Adora her sister. Would that be an accurate title? The more she thought about it, the more it just… didn’t sound right. Sister wasn’t accurate enough.

No… It was something more.

* * *

“Adora, wake up!”

Adora felt a rapid shaking on her tent, like something was pounding on it. She awoke with a start as she soon saw the tent unzipped at her feet, Catra peeking in. “Get up! Quick!” Cara frantically spoke, even though Adora could see it was still night out.

“What’s wrong?” Adora asked as she sat up, feeling like absolute crap from the sudden awakening.

“Cops!”

Adora blinked a few times, before looking over Catra’s shoulder to see, in the distance, a pair of handheld flashlights scanning around. No doubt, those flashlights were being help by a pair of police officers. “Shit…” Adora cursed, quickly standing up and exiting her tent.

Thankfully, Catra had already mostly taken down her tent. She helped Adora quickly tear hers down, taking out the poles and frantically folding up the fabric. Adora felt her heart suddenly lift in rate, almost beating out of her chest as she looked over her shoulders to see the flashlights getting closer and closer.

They were able to take down the tent frantically in less than a minute before carrying what they could in their arms and sprinting away. They ran in a direction out of the path of the two flashlights, hiding amidst a few stray bushes that were nearby.

“Good spotting,” Adora panted, whispering to her travel partner as they laid on their bellies and watched as the flashlight approached what used to be their camp.

“The morons weren’t exactly subtle about their presence. I’m a pretty light sleeper anyway,” Catra replied as the cops inspected around for any signs of people. Thankfully, the fire Adora had tried to build turned out to be a dud, meaning there was no burning hot coals to give away their position.

Eventually, the two officers made small conversation amongst themselves that Adora couldn’t hear. After a few seconds, they went back the way they came, leaving behind the camp. “They found the car…” Catra sighed. “Probably trying to find who abandoned it. Good thing I stripped the plates. They won’t find where it was hired from.”

“That made me nervous…” Adora admitted, her breath coming out in shudders. “That’s twice you’ve saved my life now. I’m starting to feel like dead weight on this journey,” Adora admitted as she rolled onto her back and looked up to the sky.

“You’re not. I’ve just had more practise because I’ve been planning this for over two years. I don’t expect you to be able to do everything,” Catra shook her head, joining Adora in looking up at the stars. “Besides. I really appreciate the company more than you realize. Being alone can be… sad, after a while.”

“So I’m doing a good job at emotional support?” Adora asked and Catra let out a smothered chuckle, before nodding.

“You really sell yourself short, but sure,” Catra replied. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and let out a deep sigh. “I don’t think I ever told you what happened to Chris’ Datsun after it was found.”

“You didn’t,” Adora turned her head to face Catra.

“Cops got their hands on it. Repaired it and repurposed it. It was used as an undercover vehicle by the police in operations, mostly drug busts,” Catra explained with a hint of venom in her tone as she looked up at the stars. “Chris loved that car. And they fucking robbed it.”

Adora wasn’t quite sure how to respond to Catra’s anger. She completely understood where she was coming from, but being able to offer her own opinion was difficult. She could only let out a sigh, trying to show her empathy with Catra’s frustration.

“Anyway…” Catra cleared her throat, maybe realizing the awkward position she put Adora in. “It’s nearly sunrise. Want to try heading for our next spot?”

“Mexico, right?” Adora asked. Catra gave a nod.

“With enough luck, we’ll actually be spending some time there. I know we’re kind of going from place to place rather quickly. I feel like I’m rushing you,” Catra said with some hesitation. Adora, in an attempt to reassure her travel partner, quickly placed her hand over Catra’s.

“This is your journey, Catra. No one has any right to tell you how to do it,” Adora comforted her. Catra looked at Adora’s hand atop of her own. It felt like smooth silk against her rough skin. Adora’s gentle thumb rubbing against the bumps of her knuckles sent mild tingles down Catra’s spine.

“You’ve got one thing wrong…” Catra replied, looking into Adora’s eyes. “This is not my journey. This… is our journey.”

Adora returned the look, and her lips slowly curved into a smile. Catra felt like she was becoming lost in Adora’s eyes, and her mind flashed with ideas of leaning in and kissing Adora right then and there.

But she knew that was too far. And too stupid.

She took her hand away from Adora’s gently and pushed those ridiculous feelings away. Adora didn’t feel hurt by the gesture, but only a tad confused. Still, she brought her hands up to her own stomach and watched the stars with Catra.

They shared a moment together. The night sky surrounded them.

* * *

Catra took a bite out of an apple as she checked the map.

After a few weeks of walking and hitchhiking, she was able to decipher that they were pretty damn close to Topock, which was a city that was directly on the border between the west of Arizona and the east of California.

From there, they’d be able to take the river down to the Gulf of California, and ultimately into Mexico down south. It’d be a bit of a trip to get there, but Catra had ideas of how to make the trip a little easier.

Catra heard another car coming down the highway in the distance. She sat on the stone path off the side of the highway, watching cars fly by right in front of her. She stuck out a thumb, hoping for a ride the rest of the way to Topock.

But eventually, the car flew by her and sped down the highway, rejecting her ask of a hitchhike. Catra took another bite out of her apple, shrugging.

She rolled the map up and put it back in her pack, before looking over her shoulder. “You about done over there?”

Just over the fence behind her, Adora was within a small paddock of a farm. The farm was slowly growing crops, and it had sprinklers all throughout to water those crops. Thankfully, those sprinklers gave Adora the opportunity for a shower as she practically frolicked across the crops, going from sprinkler to sprinkler as it drenched her in water.

As she reached each sprinkler, she took an opportunity to wash her hair and body. The only thing she had on was a short-sleeved sports top and some booty shorts, giving her an opportunity to wash off some of the sweat and dirt that had built up over the last couple of weeks.

“Just a bit!” Adora called out as she hopped between crops to reach the next nearby sprinkler. She laughed as she felt the water spray on her body, and she ran her fingers through her hair. Catra couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of it. She just looked like she was loving life.

After a while, Adora exited the paddock and hopped the fence, putting on some more suitable clothes as she panted. “Who knew a shower could be so damn exhausting?” Adora panted, a few chuckles in between her heavy breathing.

“That was your idea, not mine. And you sound like you had fun,” Catra smirked as Adora tied her hair into its familiar ponytail.

“You should definitely try it some time,” Adora suggested. Catra simply scoffed.

“Yeah, I’ll think about it,” Catra shook her head as she started to walk more towards the west. “We’re about an hour off from Topock. From there, we’ll find a way to get a pretty straight shot into Mexico.”

“Sounds good to me,” Adora smiled as she followed behind Catra. The highway beside them sometimes had cars speeding along, and sometimes they were even able to offer a ride for a little bit. However, they seemed to be out of luck today, and so they simply walked towards the nearby city.

Adora looked at her own arm and noticed a slight tan beginning to build on her skin. No doubt from spending so long hiking in the sun. It had been a few weeks since that fateful day where they hopped aboard a freight train to officially begin this journey. No doubt her parents had found out by now.

She wondered how Glimmer and Bow were doing. They would’ve finished exams by now and would be preparing for graduation. Adora wished she could join them, since they always had dreams about that special day. But this was the decision she made. She was already halfway across the country.

“Hey Catra?” Adora asked after a few minutes of hiking. She was always usually first to initiate conversation with her partner.

“Yeah?” Catra responded.

“I’ve always sort of wondered… Have you ever been with someone? Like, romantically?” Adora asked. It was the first question that came to mind that she thought of on the spot. She was always worried she was crossing the line with her questions, but Catra generally seemed comfortable as long as they didn’t involve family or her home life.

“Long-term? Nah. I always feel like I’d never be cut out for anyone. I feel like I’m unbearable to be around after a while,” Catra admitted. “I’ve hooked up with a few cute girls. But those were more one-night stands than anything. Nothing serious.”

“Well, let me just say, you’re not annoying. I mean, I’ve only known you a few weeks and I feel like we were life-long friends in another lifetime. I don’t know how to describe it, I just think of you and… everything clicks. I like being around you,” Adora smiled.

Catra looked at Adora and almost wanted to hug her in that moment. She could only chuckle softly. “Thanks…” Catra mumbled. “Have you been with anyone…?”

“Nope. Like I said a while back, I’ve never really thought about that stuff,” Adora admitted. “I haven’t even hooked up with anyone. I know plenty of other people in my class that do that stuff so often, but… I don’t know. I guess it’s just not for me personally.”

“No one should pressure you into doing stuff like that, anyway. This whole rush to get a ‘first time’ in is just dumb, if you ask me. I mean, virginity is a social construct anyway. Do what you want to do, as long as there’s always consent with all parties,” Catra spoke as she scratched the back of her head.

“You know… I think you’re the first person who hasn’t made fun of me for that,” Adora admitted. “I mean, I never told Glimmer or Bow about that stuff, so I’m sure they’d be supportive if I did… But to everyone else, all I hear is, ‘if you haven’t had sex yet, you’re a loser’ or something along those lines. They never say it to me, but it’s like… indirect shaming. It makes me feel like shit.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Catra said. “You’re completely valid in whatever you want to do, Adora. Take your time with this stuff. There’s no rush to jump into bed with anyone.”

“Thanks, Catra…. That means a lot,” Adora smiled at her. If anything, she was appreciative of how normal Catra was when discussing these topics. She didn’t feel embarrassed or ashamed. She simply felt like she could trust Catra more and open up more to her.

And really, that’s what made Catra such a good friend.

They hiked mostly in silence for the rest of the way until they came across a small, rural town. It was like a town one would find on a generic road trip. A few restaurants, some clothing stores, shops for other interests, and a motel.

The town was lightly populated and was almost directly on the edge of a large river that separated Arizona and California. The river was mostly gentle, with the water not posing too many threats as far as the eye could see. However, in the distance, it soon came between a large canyon, and criss-crossed in bizarre directions.

Catra pointed out towards the river. “So here’s the plan. We’re going to head down this river, going south until we reach the Gulf of California, which is a large body of water nearby Mexico. From there on, it’s a pretty straight shot.”

“Sounds easy enough… But are we getting a boat or something? We’re definitely not swimming with these packs,” Adora asked. Catra’s lips curved into a cheeky smile.

“Nope. We’re following in Chris’ footsteps, so we’re doing it the way he did, since that got him pretty far,” Catra said. “So… have you ever been in a canoe, Adora?”


	5. Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra and Adora try to find a way to get some canoes so that they can get into Mexico. Catra reveals her fears. Things go terribly wrong.

“We’re going to die, aren’t we?”

“Maybe. That’s all part of the fun, Adora!”

The two travellers walked through the small town of Topock, a grin on Catra’s face and a nervous frown on Adora’s. The river was the only thing separating them from the Gulf of California and, ultimately, Mexico. However, there was only one real way down that river.

“I’ve never even been in a canoe!” Adora explained as she and Catra walked towards a more populated part of the river.

“It’s easy!” Catra chuckled. “You just row and… try not to tip over. See? Simple.”

“It’s only simple because you made it sound simple,” Adora moped as Catra took a small sip from a juice box she had been carrying in her bag, not giving Adora’s complaints any attention. “I’m serious, Catra. What if this is dangerous?”

“Look…” Catra sighed as the two of them walked atop a large hill. From up there, they could see a family in the distance, having a small camp by the riverside. A few young kids were playing in the water, and one of the two dads was making a BBQ for the rest of them. “Do you want to know a secret?”

“That you want to kill me via river?” Adora asked in a sarcastic tone.

“Shush shush shush,” Catra silenced her, and Adora only frowned more. “The secret is… that blue stuff? All the water? It scares me.”

“It… does?” Adora asked, almost convinced that Catra was screwing with her.

“I had a bad experience when I was a kid. Slipped into a pool and got all disorientated,” Catra said as she looked down at the family. “Next thing I knew, water was filling my lungs… I thought I was dead. I was only seven, so I was scared shitless. Apparently I was seconds away from dying, too. But the lifeguard saved me from drowning at the last second.”

“Catra… That’s awful,” Adora tried to express empathy, but Catra simply let out her usual laughter.

“Now that I look back on it, it’s kind of funny!” She giggled in an unnatural manner. Adora felt almost dumbfounded at Catra’s laughter, and she could only join in nervously, unsure at what to even say. “Point is… I see water and my legs just feel like jelly. I know you’re nervous. I’m scared out of my mind.”

“Then… why do you want to do this?” Adora asked as Catra pocketed her empty juice box, simply putting on a brave grin. Adora began to realize why Catra was laughing and smiling so much.

“I’ll let you in on another secret. Chris was also scared of water,” Catra revealed. “But like most of everything else, he pushed through that fear and took a canoe all the way down south. Chris gave fear the middle finger most of his life.”

“I… suppose that’s inspiring?” Adora said with a shrug. “I’ve always been one to believe that some fear is necessary. Fear can sometimes save your life and all.”

“True, but you also have to overcome some fears. Weren’t you afraid of leaving everything behind to go on a journey with someone you’d only known for a week?” Catra asked. Adora opened her mouth, but no words could come out. It’s not like she could deny Catra’s words.

“Just… be careful, alright?” Adora said after a while.

“Your friend… Glimmer, was it?” Catra asked, and Adora gave a nod. “Yeah, she promised to kill me if anything happened to you. So that means no dying for either of us. She kind of scared the shit out of me.”

“Yeah, that’s Glimmer for you…” Adora chuckled, thinking about her best friend. A tinge of guilt struck her in the stomach at the thought of Bow and Glimmer. How they were doing right now. But like always, she had to push through. No going back. “Well, if Chris could overcome his fear of water, I’m sure we can overcome this obstacle like always!”

“That’s the spirit,” Catra gave a thumbs up as she looked out to the family. “Yeah, Chris overcame a lot of fears… Only fear he couldn’t defeat was his fear of connection with other people,” Catra mumbled as she surveyed the land before her.

“Huh?” Adora asked, not really hearing the last part of Catra’s sentence well.

“Nevermind,” Catra shook her head. “Enough about fear, alright? Let’s kick fear in the ass. And to do that, we’re going to need a canoe.”

“How do you propose we get one then?” Adora asked Catra, but the latter was focused on the family at the bottom of the hill. Adora followed her eyes towards the family, and soon, she spotted two large canoes resting nearby their camp.

“Well… I mean, they’re right there,” Catra pointed to the canoes. “We could make a distraction and get in them fast.”

“Hold on, hold on,” Adora put up her hands, slowing Catra down a bit. “You’re proposing that we… steal those canoes? Like, right now?”

“It’s the best shot we’ve got,” Catra explained, only to be met with Adora’s raised eyebrow and judgemental eyes. “What? We’ve already broken so many laws. Why are you getting all stuck-up about it now?”

“Because that’s a family who’s trying to have a normal holiday!” Adora argued, pointing to the family yet again.

“So, what, stealing the car is totally fine with you but a few canoes is just too far now?” Catra frowned at her travel partner.

“Catra…” Adora tried to find a way to respond, but her voice was caught up in a series of stutters. She simply sighed, shaking her head.

“We’re also breaking the law by even going down this river in the first place. We’re supposed to get permission for it and a license and all. So no matter what, we’re doing the ‘wrong’ thing by going down this river. So a few stolen canoes isn’t going to hurt anyone in the grand scheme of things,” Catra said to Adora, who wasn’t even bothering to look at her anymore.

“Just…” Adora took a few seconds, before looking up and into Catra’s gentle eyes. “I know you couldn’t give less of a shit about the rules. And to be honest, I’m starting to feel the same. But… I’ll ask you to do this for me. There must be a shop in town that can sell us a few canoes.”

“For about nine-hundred dollars each, yeah,” Catra replied quickly, trying to put Adora off the option. But her eyes didn’t change. If anything, she only grew more determined.

“Just this once, I don’t feel like screwing someone over. Come on, Catra,” Adora pleaded with her travel partner.

“I saved up for this money for nearly three years and you want me to waste it on a couple of canoes when we have the easier and free option right in front of us?” Catra cried, pointing yet again to the canoes just at the bottom of the hill.

“I’ll cook the next meals. I’ll get a job when I can. I promise I’ll do a lot to make this up to you if it means we don’t steal just this one time,” Adora put her hands together. “Please, Catra. Just this once. Let’s just let this family be.”

Catra glared at Adora for a few seconds, before glancing back to the canoes, and then back to Adora. She pondered for a few, agonizing moments. The easy option was right there. It’s not like Adora would be left behind either.

But between the easy option and the option that would make Adora happy, Catra ultimately surrendered to the latter. She let out a sigh. “Fine.”

* * *

“You better not forget that promise. We’re going to need that money back eventually.”

“Yeah, I know, I know.”

Adora and Catra dragged their canoes behind themselves, getting closer and closer to a more secluded part of the river. They had been able to purchase them relatively easily, thanks to the store owner not really caring about much except for their money.

Catra still felt a bit pissed off about the decision, but those feelings were mostly muted anytime she saw Adora’s smile. She almost wanted to punch herself for letting Adora get to her like that. It was dumb, but something in her heart told her to listen to Adora just this once.

“Thankfully, I think the river is pretty clear from what I can see,” Adora pointed out as she put a hand atop her eyebrows, blocking the sun from her view as she looked at the long, stretching body of water.

“Just be on the lookout. Rapids can come faster than you realize,” Catra replied as she began to drag her canoe down the hill towards the river. Adora followed behind her, and eventually, they reached the tip of the water.

As Adora took the opportunity to take off her shoes and put her pack in her canoe, Catra could only really look out at the water. What seemed like a good idea earlier was now making her heart race. She swallowed back her fear, but it came up just as quickly.

“Catra?” Adora spoke up, noticing Catra’s lack of movement as she stared out at the water. “You going to be okay?”

“Y… Yeah…” Catra cleared her throat, trying to still her shaking hands as she put her pack on her canoe as well.

“You know we don’t have to do this, right?” Adora suggested, wanting to comfort her travel partner. However, Catra almost instantly shook her head.

“We’ve already paid for these canoes. We can’t let them go to waste now,” Catra objected as she slowly began to push her canoe all the way into the river. As she felt the water flow around her feet, she let out a shuddered breath.

“Do you want to go ahead or should I?” Adora asked as Catra looked at the water surrounding her feet. She could barely even hear Adora over the white noise ringing in her ears upon looking at the blue liquid of death.

Catra felt her throat almost close up and her lungs squeeze dry of air. Her eyes were wide with terror and her heart felt like it was going to explode out of her chest and strangle her. She almost took a step back, wanting to run away from everything.

“Catra!” Adora spoke a bit louder, snapping Catra out of her trance as she suddenly looked up at her travel partner, trying to get the look of fear off her face. But her wide eyes and shaking lips gave away everything. “Come on. We should try and find another way…”

“No!” Catra snapped suddenly. “Not after all this! I’m not letting fear control me again!”

Adora could only look at Catra in silence as she took a few deep breaths, regaining some sense of control over her body as she grabbed the paddle. She gripped it tight in her hands and took one last deep, long breath. “I’ll be fine. I have you. I’ll be fine,” Catra said to Adora, forcing a smile.

Adora almost felt a blush come to her face at those words, but she simply returned the smile as she picked up her paddle as well. “I’m right behind you. Always.”

Catra looked to the one she trusted more than anyone, and she felt a wave of comfort wash over the anxiety and fear that strangled her body.

She pushed the canoe in a bit deeper, before jumping up and sliding a leg inside of the canoe. She had to hold onto the sides for balance as it toppled slightly, but eventually it stilled, and she was able to grab onto the paddle.

The water was calm and quiet. She stuck the left side of the paddle into the water and pushed, turning herself around to see Adora follow her, stepping into the canoe and maintaining a good balance. She looked up to her travel partner and let out a few chuckles, excitement flooding her veins.

“Just be on the lookout for anyone not wanting us in this river!” Catra called out as she eventually started paddling down south. Adora had to get the hang of staying upright and setting a straight path for herself, but she was able to learn it all relatively fast.

The canyons surrounded the two adventurers as they paddled down the calm and gentle river. The sun was shining and reflecting off the beautiful water beneath them, and the gentle flow of the river guided them on their journey.

“You know where you’re going?” Adora asked Catra.

“Should be a straight shot!” Catra replied, before letting out a few chuckles. “Hey Adora! I’m on water!”

“Yes, you are!” Adora replied, which only led to Catra laughing even louder.

“I’m on water and nobody can stop me! I’m not afraid of you anymore, water!” Catra called out to the sky, declaring her pride and bravery as she threw her hands up in celebration. Adora could only watch with a deep smile as Catra cheered for herself.

“Screw you, water! You can kiss my ass!”

* * *

Adora watched the blue sky surrounding her, and the blue water hugging the canoe beneath her.

A gentle stream took her and Catra down the river as they listened to the sounds of the wind and sloshing of the river. Hours had passed, and little words had been spoken. It was bliss. Peace, once and for all.

“So I’ve got a question,” Catra spoke up, her canoe just a few feet in front of Adora’s.

“Yeah?”

“You know my fear now. Can I ask what’s yours?”

Adora looked towards Catra’s canoe for a short while, and saw that Catra was simply staring up at the sky. For the first time, it was her that initiating the conversation and asked the first question. Adora was almost proud of her for that.

“Well…” Adora let out a thoughtful sigh, before sitting back up and turning her canoe to face straight on. “I guess spiders are pretty spooky. I woke up one morning and a spider was on my bed sheets. I was never the same after that.”

“I think spiders are cute sometimes,” Catra responded as she, too, sat up. “But I guess I can see why people are scared of them. Are spiders your only phobia?”

“Uh…” Adora scratched the back of her head. She wondered if she should reveal something so personal to Catra. After all, it’s not like she revealed everything to Adora. But the idea of keeping a secret and hiding something from someone she was travelling with just made Adora feel wrong.

“I’m… scared of being alone.”

“Being… alone?”

“Yeah,” Adora nodded. “My parents always left me alone in that house. It frightened me. One of the main reasons I couldn’t take this journey was because I was afraid of doing it by myself. I’m scared of being abandoned. Unloved. Isolated.”

Catra looked to Adora, and saw her eyes casted towards the water, looking at her own reflection. “I guess that’s another thing I should thank you for,” Adora smiled, looking up at Catra. “You never abandoned me. You’ve had a few opportunities now. Like on the freight train… and stealing those canoes… You had every chance to leave me and you probably wouldn’t have suffered any consequences. But you’ve stayed.”

“Of course I stayed. I lo…” Catra cleared her throat. “I… like having you around. Besides… being with you made me realize that taking this journey by myself wouldn’t have meant anything. It would’ve been for nothing.”

“What do you mean by that?” Adora asked. Catra hesitated to answer for a few seconds, looking at the sky and trying to find the proper words to express her feelings. To express the desires she had and the reason for taking this journey.

But before she could answer, another sound filled the air. The sound of rushing water.

“Oh shit…” Catra cursed, picking up her paddle as the river rounded a corner to a sudden set of rapids. It led downhill and looked a short distance, but any rapids were deadly. “Adora, hang on!”

“Got it!” Adora picked up her paddle, but those were the last few words Catra heard before the rapids took the canoe by storm. She kept her balance as much as she could, the water beating and kicking at her as she stuck her paddle in and tried to adjust herself.

She leaned back, trying to stay inside the canoe. Falling out was the absolute worst thing that could happen right now. A few short seconds were left, and Catra felt like her arms were going to tear off as she fought against the raging water.

She didn’t have time to look back or do anything else except keep herself balanced. Her canoe smashed against a few rocks, but it held strong as she kept moving forward. Ultimately, she saw the calm water await her, and her canoe eventually splashed into peace.

Her long hair had been drenched with water and her heart was racing. Catra checked herself for injuries, but no major ones showed up. She let out a few chuckles, and turned around. “Adora, you okay?”

When Catra turned around, she only saw Adora’s pack floating in the water.

“Adora?” Catra called out, turning her canoe around to search. “Oh no… Oh no, no, no, no, no, no, no…”

Catra felt her heart almost leap and skip a few beats. Her blood went ice cold and her eyes widened as she called out. “Adora! Adora!” She screamed, not caring who else would hear. Adora’s canoe wasn’t even visible as Catra went over to pick her partner’s pack up.

When she reached into the water, she suddenly saw a figure emerge from deep beneath. A few feet away, Adora’s body floated to the surface of water, face down.

At first, Catra thought she was pulling a twisted joke. That she was going to spring up and surprise her at any second. That she wasn’t going to lose her. But as Catra paddled over to Adora, she was still face down and not moving.

Catra, her hands shaking, reached out and placed a hand on Adora’s shoulder, turning her around. She saw Adora’s eyes closed. She saw her pale face. This wasn’t a joke. This wasn’t a trick. Catra hovered a hand in front of Adora’s mouth.

Adora wasn’t breathing.


	6. Breathless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra attempts to save Adora's life.

_“I will literally kill you if anything bad happens to my friend.”_

These words spoken by Glimmer were all that could echo through Catra’s mind as she dragged Adora to the nearest solid land, just at the bottom of a steep hill.

Her heart didn’t even feel like it was there anymore. Catra’s entire body had been flooded with so much panic that nothing felt right anymore. She couldn’t tell if it was tears staining her cheeks or just more water. She couldn’t tell if her arms were aching from dragging Adora all this way or because her body wanted to give up.

Catra eventually paddled the canoe with one arm towards solid land, though it took some time to get there. Longer than anyone would’ve liked. The tip of the canoe dragged against the dirt, and Catra immediately stood up, continuing to drag Adora to the surface.

“Please don’t go… Please… Please…” Catra pleaded with anyone who would listen as she placed Adora on the dirt floor, face up. Her eyes were closed and her skin had gone slightly pale. Catra’s hands shook immensely as she tried to remember everything she could about how to save a drowning victim.

There was no time to waste. Catra leaned down, her ear hovering near Adora’s mouth. Just like before, she still wasn’t breathing. Catra felt her breath shudder, but she had to push through the panic as she placed two fingers on Adora’s wrist.

A faint throbbing could be felt. A pulse was still there.

It was the first good sign to come as Catra realized that she needed to get the water out of Adora’s system. She placed a hand on Adora’s cheek, tilting her head to the side to see a small dribble of water come out. It wasn’t enough. The panic only grew more intense.

_“I will literally kill you if anything bad happens to my friend.”_

_“I will literally kill you if anything bad happens to my friend.”_

_“I will literally kill you if anything bad happens to my friend.”_

_“I’ll kill you.”_

_“I’ll kill you.”_

Over and over and over, those words rung in Catra’s head. She couldn’t hear her own panicked breaths. She couldn’t hear her own desperate sobs. Nothing but those words, along with high pitched ringing in her ears. Her senses were overloaded and about to explode, and yet she forced herself to push through.

“Mouth-to-mouth… I’ve got to give…” Catra frantically whispered to herself as she pinched Adora’s nose shut. It had to be now. Adora hadn’t been breathing for a while, and if she lost a pulse, that meant CPR, which could quickly exhaust anyone.

Catra leaned down and pressed her lips to Adora’s, giving four heavy blows in a row. She gave everything she could. She saw it as giving her own life for Adora. It was all she could do.

She felt her lungs almost drain, and she drew back, hovering an ear over Adora’s mouth again.

Still, she was not breathing. “Dammit, dammit, dammit…” Catra cursed.

She sucked in air, before pushing her lips to Adora’s yet again, giving four more frantic, yet heavy breaths. Nothing else mattered except saving her. She can’t let Adora die. Catra never cared what happened to herself, but she would never let Adora die.

Again, she listened in. Still no breathing. She went for her pulse again and felt that it was becoming less noticeable. Time was running out. Catra felt like she was going to scream.

She pressed her lips to Adora’s yet again, choking back her sobs as she gave two more heavy breaths. The tears streaming down her cheeks were becoming more frequent as she gave one final breath with everything she could.

And then, Adora’s chest begin to spasm slightly.

Catra quickly drew back and notice Adora coughing.

Quickly, Catra tilted Adora’s head to the side and watched as what looked to be a gallon of water drained out of Adora’s mouth as she coughed up the water she had swallowed. After three attempts, the mouth-to-mouth had worked as Adora finally sucked in air.

Catra looked down at her travel partner as she took in as much air as she could through her coughing. Adora felt dazed and confused, her vision blurry as she tried to recall what had just happened. Catra could only look down at her with tear filled eyes.

Slowly, Adora’s sight came back to her as she looked up to see a figure on top of her. The figure’s head blocked the sun from shining directly into her eyes. Her vision focused, and she saw that Catra was looking at her, her eyes stinging red with tears welling in them.

Adora looked up at her travel partner. Slightly dazed, she could only slur a few words. “Did you… save me…?”

Catra felt her lips wobble. She knew what was coming, so before Adora could see her ugly cry face, Catra suddenly wrapped her arms tight around her travel partner and held her close, hugging Adora. Her hand was placed on the back of Adora’s head as her other wrapped around her shoulders, her body heaving with sobs.

“I’m sorry…” Catra choked. “I’m so sorry… This is all my fault…”

Adora felt Catra’s warm body against her own cold one. She could hear Catra’s sobs and she could feel the trembling emotion from her. Slowly, her mind began to piece things together as she looked out and could only see one canoe.

Slowly, her hand wrapped around Catra’s back as she held her back. Her whole body felt numb, but more than anything, she wanted to be there for Catra. She rested her chin on Catra’s shoulder as they hugged.

Catra felt like crap for breaking down like this. She wasn’t used to this feeling. This desperation. She had never felt so panicked about losing someone her whole life. It was almost bizarre. She was slowly starting to feel like Adora wasn’t just a mere travel partner.

Maybe Adora was more than that. Maybe Adora meant more than just a buddy. Maybe Adora meant more than anything.

Maybe Adora was the woman she was slowly beginning to fall in love with.

* * *

Adora watched the water gather at her feet. It cooled them slightly, stilled, before being washed away.

She had a soft blanket wrapped around her body as a warm fire crackled to the right of herself. The night sky surrounded her as she watched the moonlight reflect off the water. The calmness was so vastly different to the rushing rapids she had nearly died in earlier.

She felt her body slowly warm thanks to the blanket, and her damp hair was slowly beginning to dry out. But most of all, her heart was still heavy with guilt as she pushed her hands together, sighing and lowering her head.

“That’s about all the burning material I’m going to find nearby,” Catra sighed as she chuckled a few more sticks on the fire. She glanced over to Adora and saw that she had shrunk slightly. “You doing okay?”

“I…” Adora tried to choke out a few words, and yet none came. She slowly turned around to face the fire, putting her hands up to warm them as she watched the orange flames. Catra could tell something was on her mind. She just didn’t know what yet.

Slowly, she sat down next to Adora, bringing her knees up to her chest. They sat in silence, listening to the sounds of fire and water. Their bare feet pushed into the dirt and dug into the earth. Adora curled her toes, regaining some sense of feeling in them.

“… I’m sorry,” Adora sighed.

Catra looked over to her partner and gave no response. Adora could barely even look at her.

“I begged you to bring me along on this trip because I thought I’d never get another chance,” Adora spoke. “Now look where we are. Down a canoe, and no way to get into Mexico. All I keep doing is fucking things up. Over and over again.”

“Adora, stop,” Catra shook her head.

“You know it’s true,” Adora interrupted her. “I haven’t done one good thing this entire trip. All I’ve done is drag you down. Ruin everything. I’m a complete screw-up. You should’ve never brought me along.”

Catra looked to the depressed Adora and waited a few seconds. She wanted to make sure Adora had gotten it out of her system. She looked towards the fire, and took a breath. “You’re completely wrong about not doing anything.”

Adora felt her heart stop for a few beats.

“I know it may not seem obvious… but you’ve done so much. I’m not too good at expressing my emotions or whatever but… I really, really appreciate you just being here.”

Adora looked to her partner.

“I mean it,” Catra looked into Adora’s eyes. “Yeah, maybe I know more about setting up camp or how to read maps. But what you do for me is just as important, even if it isn’t that obvious to the naked eye. Without you… I’d…” Catra sighed. “I’d be completely… and utterly… lost…”

“Lost…?”

“In a way I just… can’t even begin to describe,” Catra shook her head, swallowing back her emotions. She looked to Adora and gave a gentle, yet sad smile. “I can never thank you enough for being here, Adora.”

“I…” Adora cleared her throat and returned the gentle smile as best as she could. “I love being with you, Catra… I just don’t want to drag you down.”

“You don’t. I promise.”

Adora was in a confused state of mind. One the one hand, she was glad Catra didn’t hold a grudge or hatred towards her. She’d always been scared of dragging her partner down, so hearing those words was like a fresh wave of relief.

But at the same time, it was something deeper. Catra clearly had a lot of simmering emotion, maybe even misery. Adora couldn’t quite figure out where it was coming from, but it was slowly beginning to boil. She wondered if she should ask Catra about why she’s so thankful for Adora’s mere presence, or why she left for this journey in the first place. Chris couldn’t be the only reason why.

Because soon enough, Adora felt like Catra’s emotions were going to boil over and burn herself.

“You know…” Catra cleared her throat. “Chris didn’t get too far into Mexico in the first place.”

“Really?”

“The conditions, especially the intense wind, actually took away his canoe and a bunch of his gear. Combine that with the border security… He never made it too far before being forced back into California,” Catra explained. “So in a way, what we’re doing isn’t that far off from how it went for him.”

Adora chuckled slightly. “I… I guess so. I just still feel bad. You must’ve planned for Mexico, and now you can’t get there because of me.”

“Adora… Mexico was the farthest thing from my mind when I saw you in that water,” Catra spoke with a hoarse voice. “I don’t think I’ve ever been that scared my whole life. It… I was so, so, so afraid of losing you. I didn’t care about anything else.”

“I…” Adora stuttered for a bit. These words were unlike any she had heard from Catra before.

“I was just… stuck in grief. The idea of you dying… of me being the reason you go… It…” Catra’s breath shuddered as she rubbed a hand over her mouth, trying to still her quivering lips. “I feel like shit for even putting you in that situation. I made a promise to your friend to make sure you were okay, and I nearly let you die.”

Catra felt her throat tighten up as she looked at the moon, avoiding eye contact with Adora. Her tears welled up in her eyes, but she hated showing it. She had no idea what Adora was feeling. She just needed to push through it all.

But soon, she felt a weight at her side.

Catra looked to see that Adora, wrapped up in her blanket like a burrito, was leaning on her. Adora’s head rested on Catra’s shoulder as she looked at the fire, and her hair draped over Catra’s shoulder. “What are you…” Catra spoke quietly.

“Name me one journey that has ever gone perfect with no obstacles or speedbumps,” Adora simply asked. Catra looked down at her, and her mind drew a blank. Nothing came, and Adora smiled in response. “Exactly. The thrill of adventure is that, sometimes, mistakes are made. Obviously, it’s bad that one of us nearly died, and we should definitely avoid that in future, but… I never expected this to be a trip where nothing goes wrong. You can’t beat yourself up for that.”

Catra looked at the woman leaning on her. She took in her words. Her smile. Her warmth. Everything about her which was pure and perfect.

And slowly, she brought an arm up and wrapped it around Adora’s shoulder, holding her close and saying everything she wanted to say. That fear of loss was still there. But it was soon overcome with the love that she knew had already developed.

Her mind was only filled with Adora. Stupid Adora. Stupid, dumb, yet so perfect Adora.

* * *

“You don’t mind if we stop here for a bit?”

A few days had passed since Adora’s near death experience. Since Mexico was no longer an option, the next location to come up was a Californian beach. Since they were canoeing on a river that separated California and Arizona, it was easy enough to get into the western state. It was more a case of finding somewhere to surf, like Adora always wanted.

Catra had become a bit more worrisome about Adora’s safety ever since that experience. The fear that drained her system when she saw Adora not breathing was still stuck in her body, and she kept almost a third eye on Adora to make sure she was okay.

Adora was only a little bit irked, but she understood why Catra was worried. She just wished she didn’t mess up on those rapids.

Now, they had arrived within a small town on the eastern end of California. It wasn’t much, but Adora did notice it had a post office. And so, she asked Catra the question of stopping for a bit.

“Sure. What do you need to do?” Catra asked as Adora glanced to the post office nearby.

“Well, I promised Glimmer and Bow I’d write them often. I kind of haven’t done that since we left about two months ago, so…” Adora pointed to the post. Catra put her hands in her pockets and shrugged.

“Sure. Don’t get killed on your way over. I’m going to see if we can pick up any supplies from these shops,” Catra said as she headed off in another direction. Adora scoffed, but simply shook her head with a smile as she went over.

The post office was mostly empty, much like the rest of the town, but Adora instantly spotted a few postcards she could use. They might give away a location, but by the time Glimmer and Bow received them, she’d probably be long gone from California.

Adora grabbed one postcard and envelope and went to pay for it at the front desk, along with a stamp. She took a pen from a nearby desk and placed the postcard down, looking out the window of the post office to see if she could gather the words to say.

Of course, Glimmer might be unhappy that it took Adora so long to write. So an apology was in order, as well as an update. Plus, these postcards could be seen as some sort of travel journey or a milestone marker once she and Catra got back.

“Hey there, Glimmer and Bow…” Adora whispered to herself as she wrote. “First of all, sorry for being so late with this card… It’s been a hectic ride, as you might have guessed.”

Adora looked up to the blue sky for a few seconds, before going back. “So far, we’ve gone from Texas to Arizona. We tried to get into Mexico but there was a few… complications. So, we’re in California at the moment. I think I told you both that I’ve always wanted to visit this state. Well… Here I am.”

She took a moment to ponder. “I really, really miss you both. You mean so much to me and I wish I could’ve brought you along. I didn’t make the decision to leave lightly. But I’m finally finishing that promise I made all those years ago. And I think I’m really living the life I wanted.”

Adora could see she didn’t have much room left to write. “Anyway, I just wanted to update you both. Catra is an amazing travel partner… and an amazing person,” Adora wrote, and soon, she looked out the window.

There, she saw Catra emerging from a market with a few bags of food, firelighters and other supplies. She managed to shift things around in her pack, and make room in particular for some oranges, Adora’s favorite fruit. Adora smiled when she saw just how much care Catra was putting in for the both of them.

Her heart raced slightly as she looked down at the postcard. Her pen sat on the card, and she wondered what to do with the last few lines. Eventually, she simply let her hand go without thinking.

“I love her.”

Adora looked at those three words. Her mind didn’t even think. It was simply her heart taking control of her body. She looked up at Catra yet again. She saw her travel partner wait for her. Just like she did on the freight train. Just like she did in that town in Texas. Just like she did on the canoes. Catra always made sure Adora could keep up.

Catra had sacrificed so much. And Adora was beginning to realize she wasn’t simply being used. Catra really was someone who cared about her. And Adora cared about Catra too. Immensely. It was like everything was a bit brighter when her travel partner was around.

Slight jitters filled Adora’s body as she looked at the words and back at Catra. Ultimately, they’d both see this postcard in future. And if they were still friends, it might make things awkward. Adora didn’t want to ruin what they already had.

She crossed out those three words to make sure no one could see them, and signed off.

“I’ll see you two again one day. I love you both. From, Adora.”

The scribbles were still there, but they blocked out Adora’s true feelings. Perhaps she’d have to do that for this whole trip. Anything to simply keep the company around. She didn’t want to ruin everything they had built. The bond they had developed.

And so, Adora’s feelings simmered. She began to wonder if they, too, would boil over.

And burn them both.


	7. California

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora achieves a lifelong dream of hers. She and Catra share a close moment. They have a realization, much to Catra's amusement and Adora's horror.

The bus jolted around a tad, knocking Adora over. She quickly regained her balance, grabbing onto a nearby pole and pulling her hood over her face a bit more.

She stood amongst a small crowd on the speeding bus, looking outside the window to see that they were still in a tunnel with some other traffic. It had taken a couple of weeks, but thanks to Catra’s map skills and money, she and Adora had found a way to board public transport towards a beach on the west side of California.

Both of them had done their best to hide their faces, pulling hoods over them and even wearing disposable masks when need be. Catra was still a tad worried about being tracked, and Adora could understand where that fear came from.

But slowly, the bus was reaching a light at the end of the tunnel.

Adora looked up to the opposite end of the bus to see her travel partner, grabbing onto a pole and looking down at the floor. She noticed Adora’s stares, and looked up to glance at her travel partner. They exchanged a small nod.

And as Adora looked into Catra’s eyes, the bus emerged from the tunnel and into the afternoon sky.

Adora looked out the window to see everything she had dreamed off ever since she started this journey. The view she always imagined herself in, and the place that she always loved as a kid.

Adora saw the beach.

Catra noticed Adora’s beaming smile and couldn’t help but feel a warm, fuzzy feeling in her stomach. It was plain cute to see how excited she was to be somewhere new, and somewhere she had always wanted to go to. This whole trip was almost worth it just for the stars in Adora’s eyes at this moment.

Slowly, the bus pulled over to the next stop. Adora was already making her way to the door, and Catra shook her head, following her like a mother would to their excitable child. The bus door jolted, and then slid open. Adora stepped into the place of her dreams.

Immediately, she was hit with fresh, warm air. The constant feeling of the gentle sun hitting their skin, and the smell of the ocean. The people nearby all wearing appropriate beachwear, and some people surfing in the ocean, the water painted orange by the glowing sun.

Adora was practically hopping on her feet as Catra emerged from the bus, pulling her hood back and standing next to Adora. “This about everything you were hoping for?” Catra asked. Adora frantically nodded.

“For the rest of my life, I will never be able to repay you for bringing me here,” Adora replied, taking Catra’s hand in her own and holding it tight. “Thank you. Just… thank you so much!”

Catra felt the butterflies in her stomach grow crazy at the touch of Adora’s hand, and she could only let loose with a series of nervous chuckles. “Trust me… You’ve repaid me plenty already.”

“I have?” Adora raised an eyebrow.

“Uh… Don’t worry. Judging by your face, I’m guessing you want to head for the beach?” Catra asked, and the stars in Adora’s eyes only sparkled brighter.

“Please?” Adora pleaded, holding Catra’s hand tighter and leaning in, looking up at her travel partner.

Catra could never say no to that face.

“There should be a place with surfboards nearby. I can go get those while you find a spot for us?” Catra offered, and it took less than a second for Adora to nod and practically sprint off towards the sandy shores. Catra watched her run, and couldn’t help but feel her face flush with an intense shade of red.

Catra scratched the back of her head, sighing as she blushed. “Dammit…”

Adora felt the warm wind brush against her skin as she sprinted down the path towards the beach, dodging people as she ran. As she neared the sand, she reached down, hopping on one leg as she took her shoes and socks off her other foot. Just as she managed to get both shoes off, she jumped onto the sand.

She felt the softness. The delicate nature of sand against her bare feet. The feeling she had imagined for years, coming to life right before her eyes.

She looked up and down the beach. It stretched along for miles, tattered with palm trees and waves crashing against the floor. A few couples walking down the beach, hand in hand as they stared out at the ocean.

Adora wondered what it’d be like to take her partner here. To hold their hand as they felt this air, and took in the smell of the ocean. She wondered what’d it be like to be with the company of someone she loved in the place she loved.

The imaginary scenario of pure bliss was enough to send tingles down her spine. She wondered.

“Hey Adora!” She suddenly heard, and turned around to see Catra approaching her, two surfboards under her arm as she waved to her partner. Adora smiled upon seeing Catra.

“You’re going to try it too?” Adora asked as she took one of the boards, signalling to the other one in Catra’s arm.

“Why not? It shouldn’t be too hard,” Catra shrugged. After all, she conquered canoeing and reading countless maps. A surfboard should be nothing.

Adora looked out to the orange ocean, took a breath, and ran towards it. Catra watched her for a few seconds, and followed after her travel partner into the place of her dreams.

The water was cold, but in a more relaxing way. It didn’t send shivers throughout Adora’s spine, but instead, it cooled her hot skin as she swam out towards the deeper parts of the ocean. She held onto the surfboard to keep herself afloat, and turned to face her partner. “Come on, Catra!”

But Catra was still stuck at the shallow end.

As soon as her feet hit the water, she instantly felt her body lock in place. She cursed herself, hoping to be over this by now. And yet, nearly losing her partner seemed to have only added to this endless fear.

She looked down at the ocean beneath her. Her heart raced and her throat tightened up. Nothing felt real. Everything felt like death. She couldn’t even breathe. She couldn’t even move. She couldn’t…

“Catra!”

Suddenly, she felt Adora’s hand grab her by the wrist.

Catra looked up to see Adora’s gentle smile. Her warm touch. Her damp hair, already soaked by the ocean. Adora had come back for her. “You okay, Catra?” She asked in the most soothing voice she could.

With someone like her, how could she not be?

Catra took a step forward, and Adora held onto her the whole time. She felt Adora’s touch overcome any fear in her body as she stepped deeper and deeper into the ocean, until eventually, she had to use her board to keep herself afloat.

Adora still held onto Catra.

“I’m going to need to get some space so I don’t crash into you. Is that okay?” Adora asked her partner. Catra looked at her hand, and then into her eyes. Slowly, she nodded.

“Just don’t goo too far. Please.”

Adora slowly let her hand go from Catra’s, and she swam towards another direction. However, she never left Catra’s sight, no matter how far away she got. Catra never really felt alone as long as she still had Adora.

Eventually, Catra felt the tide sink a bit, and she looked over her shoulder to see a large wave approaching. Immediately, her mind hit a blank as she realized she had absolutely no idea how to surf in the first place.

She held onto hope in beginner’s luck as she put her chest on the board, trying to replicate what she’d seen in the movies as she swam towards the shore as best as a person who’s scared of water can swim. She felt the wave pick her board up, and immediately, she tried to stand to her feet.

She got further than she thought she would as she stayed on her hands and knees, letting the wave drag her board. However, it was only about three seconds before she felt the board begin to wobble tremendously, and before she could regain her balance, it had toppled to the side.

Catra felt a large surge of panic spring through her systems as she fell, but instead of sinking into the endless depth of the ocean, she instead felt her back hit against the soft, wet sand. She had managed to get to the shallow end of the ocean, and she only felt the water come up halfway across her body as she laid down.

She had managed to stay on her board for longer than a second, and she didn’t drown. Catra decided to chalk her first surfing experience up as a success.

She looked over to see how Adora was doing, and immediately, her eyes widened.

Above all odds, Adora had managed to stand up on her board and extend her arms, keeping her balance as she rode with the wave. She almost looked like she had done this before, but she didn’t even live near a beach in Atlanta.

Catra watched her partner take this in stride as she laughed, finally being able to achieve a lifelong goal of hers. Adora felt the wind cool her body, but she didn’t care. The excitement of it all overtook any senses of coldness or fear.

But eventually, she felt herself begin to topple slightly. Catra watched as Adora lost her balance, and fell backwards into the ocean, her board leaving her behind. Unlike Catra, Adora had fallen into a relatively deep part of the ocean.

Catra’s eyes widened as she suddenly felt every single organ in her body grow cold. Her mind didn’t even think. Fear took control of her body as she immediately started running and swimming as fast as she could in Adora’s direction.

Her heart pounded and her breath felt like ice as she pushed through her own fear, swimming into the depths towards where Adora fell. She still hadn’t emerged. Catra looked around frantically for her, her voice becoming stuck as she simply panted.

And suddenly, Catra felt a hand on her shoulder.

“NO!” Catra suddenly screamed, turning around to find Adora, her partner. She looked completely fine.

“Catra…?” Adora mumbled, seeing Catra’s eyes stinging red and hearing her pants. Combine that with the sudden scream, Adora soon pieced together everything that happened, and why Catra reacted this way. “Hey… Hey, I’m right here. I just fell. I’m not hurt.”

“I…” Catra tried to choke out any words she could, but the only way she could express herself is placing a hand over Adora’s on her shoulder. She felt her heart slowly begin to calm, and her panic was soon replaced by shame and embarrassment. “Sorry…”

“It’s okay, Catra. I understand why you were scared. You don’t have to be sorry,” Adora shook her head. Catra couldn’t make eye contact with her, and Adora simply squeezed Catra’s hand tighter. “Do you want a hug?”

“Shut up…” Catra mumbled.

“I wasn’t talking down to you,” Adora said genuinely, rubbing her thumb across Catra’s palm. Catra looked up to see Adora’s concerned look. Those eyes that spoke every word. Adora cared. She understood. She listened.

Maybe that’s why Catra loved her so much.

Wordlessly, as they swam together, Catra wrapped her arms around Adora’s shoulder and held her close. She wasn’t used to this closeness. In all honesty, she felt an odd sense of discomfort at the whole situation. But at the same time, when she felt Adora’s strong arms wrap around her back, that discomfort was overshadowed by warmth.

It was one of the first loving hugs Catra had ever experienced.

She never wanted to leave Adora’s arms. The fear of the ocean, the fear of running away, the fear of home, nothing mattered except this hug, in this exact moment. It wasn’t their very first hug. But it was the first hug Catra shared out of love, and nothing else.

And in that moment, Catra felt the afternoon sun shine on them.

* * *

The sounds of the ocean were a gentle reminder of how far Adora had come.

She tended to the small campfire that she and Catra had set up on the beach, far away from the town or anyone else. The moon reflected off the water and into Adora’s eyes as she sat, her legs crossed and her feet digging into the gentle sand.

Adora looked to the distance to see only one figure approaching her. She instantly recognized who it was, and gave a large wave. “Took you a while!”

The figure was Catra, carrying a few bags with her as she approached Adora and the fire. “Store was crowded! But I got a lot of good shit!” Catra replied as she jogged over to Adora, closing the gap between the two of them.

Adora made some room by the small fire, and she soon felt an intense wind blow at her skin. Compared to the warm afternoon, the night was cold and almost freezing. The occasional gusts of wind did nothing to help.

Catra knelt down next to Adora once she had caught up, and she placed a few items of wholesome food into her pack. Stuff like fruits, nuts, or anything that could last for a while. Adora could also see a few more things in the shopping bag. “You really spent a lot, huh?” Adora asked.

“Well, as reward for basically being halfway done on this trip, I figure we deserve a few snacks and such,” Catra shrugged as she pulled out some potato chips, cookies, and most interesting of all, a few cans of beer.

“How’d you get your hands on that?” Adora pointed to the beer. Catra took one can in her hand.

“Store was so hectic that I was able to, well… sneak it out,” Catra smirked, before cracking open the top. It certainly wasn’t the first time Catra had stolen something on this trip, but nevertheless, Adora always felt an odd sense of discomfort with it all.

“You want one?” Catra asked, offering a can to Adora. She hesitated for a bit, having never drunk alcohol in her life, and Catra could tell what she was thinking. “Look, don’t feel pressured at all, alright? It’s an offer that is completely up to you. No judgement here.”

Adora looked at the can for a few more seconds, before eventually taking it from Catra. “I suppose I should just… see what it’s like,” Adora shrugged as Catra took her first, long sip from her own can. She seemed like a natural at drinking this stuff.

Adora was able to crack open her can, and even the smell felt wrong. Nevertheless, she tilted the can towards herself and took a small sip. Catra watched as Adora tasted the beer for a few seconds, narrowing her eyes and trying to decipher the weird taste.

But eventually, she shook her head. “Nope. That is NOT for me,” Adora said, putting the can away.

“Fair enough. It’s not my favorite drink in the world anyway,” Catra shrugged as she took another sip, looking out towards the ocean. “I know you said not to be sorry, but… I still feel bad about freaking out when you fell. You must feel like I’m babysitting you, huh?”

“No, not really,” Adora shook her head. “It’s a blatant fact I’m still learning the ropes of all this. You’re just looking after me. Besides, after what you went through, and how you’ve had to save me already… I mean, it’s only natural you’d react like that.”

“You’re always so understanding, huh?” Catra chuckled. She soon brought her knees up to her chest. “I appreciate it,” Catra said with a smile.

Adora returned the smile for some time, and the eye contact they made felt more intimate than ever before. Soon enough, Adora felt herself having to break away from it as she looked out to the ocean. “Everything about this place is exactly what I imagined in my dreams,” Adora said.

“Chris spent a lot of time in California,” Catra said as she took another sip from her can. “He ran into this couple… Rainey and Jan. They were a hippie couple that showed him around and really grew to love him. They were sort of, like… his other parents.”

“Oh, wow… That’s actually kind of sweet to hear. Did they adopt him or something?” Adora asked.

“No… Much like everyone else he ran into, Chris left them just as quickly as he met them. Never one for attachments or bonds. He broke a lot of hearts,” Catra said as she scrunched up her can, putting it in her pack for trash.

“I guess that’s how Glimmer and Bow felt when I left…” Adora felt a tinge of guilt crush her stomach.

“Don’t let it get to you. You’ll be back soon,” Catra advised, and Adora gave a small nod. Still, it did little to remove the overbearing weight that pushed her into the depths of misery. The only way to not let the guilt consume her was to look at her travel partner, and remember why they did this in the first place.

“I wonder how those two are doing today,” Adora pondered about Rainey and Jan, trying to change subjects.

“Well, I’m not so sure about Rainey, but I do know Jan’s doing alright. They split up, but she was the one that gave her side of the story when it came to Chris,” Catra explained as she looked up at the moon. “If she were here now, she’d call us a couple of leather tramps.”

“Leather tramps?” Adora raised an eyebrow.

“It’s just terminology used to describe a vagabonds method of transportation,” Catra said. “We’re leather tramps, since we don’t have a vehicle like a van or something. A rubber tramp has a vehicle.”

“I see… I actually prefer being leather, to be honest. Makes for more variety,” Adora replied.

“I was considering hiring a van, but I think that just wouldn’t feel the same,” Catra said as she stretched her arms above her head, letting out a yawn. At the same time, a large gust of wind came and went, and both women immediately shivered at the feeling. “Fuck… Alcohol always makes me tired.”

“It’s going to be hard sleeping through this tonight,” Adora replied, her skin still freezing from the cold air. Catra looked at her partner for a few moments, and a radical thought came to her mind.

Immediately, she went to supress the thought. It was dumb. It would never happen. But still, she couldn’t get it out of her mind. Like a bug, it refused to go away. Catra pondered for a while, and eventually, the thought came out on its own.

“Well… Maybe we can cuddle for warmth?”

Catra wanted to punch herself in the face.

Adora looked to her partner, an intense blush on her cheeks as she realized she had heard those words correctly. Catra tried to force out an apology, and yet none came. There was no chance to take those words back.

And she prepared for Adora to find her weird. She prepared for Adora to leave. She prepared for the absolute worse…

“… Sure.”

Wait, what?

Catra thought she was dreaming at first. She looked to Adora. “Are… Are you serious?” Catra asked.

“Are you?”

“Well… Yeah.”

“Then so am I.”

Adora and Catra looked into each other’s eyes for a while, trying to figure out if the other one was joking or not. They looked to the single tent behind them, and Catra scratched the back of her head. “I was going to set up my own tent when I got back, but… I guess this is more convenient.”

“Yeah…” Adora chuckled. The silence was deafening. The only sounds were the ocean and the wind, and soon enough, Adora realized she’d have to go in. Wordlessly, she crawled towards the tent, opening it up and slipping inside. She found her large sleeping back, and made room as she crawled in.

Catra looked at Adora entering the tent, and let out a sigh. “Fuck…” She mumbled as she headed into the tent a few seconds later to find Adora, having made room for her.

There were second thoughts. The idea of pulling out to make things less weird. But they were soon taken away when another freezing gust of wind blew pass them, and Catra quickly crawled into bed beside Adora, seeking shelter from the cold air outside.

A bit of adjusting later, and soon enough, Catra was in the same sleeping bag as Adora. Their bodies were mere inches away from pressing up against the other, and they could feel each other’s body heat radiating off the other.

But neither of them hated it. In fact, they both could barely calm their rapidly beating hearts.

“You okay?” Adora asked as she rolled over to her side, facing away from Catra as to not make this any weirder.

“Yeah. This… isn’t as cramped as I thought it would be,” Catra admitted as she did the same. Both women felt their backs press against each other as they faced the tent walls, and they decided to ignore it. This was for warmth, first and foremost.

But both of them also just liked being the near the other.

It didn’t take long for Adora’s eyelids to feel heavy. She wasn’t sure how much time passed, but eventually, things felt a little less weird. She heard some shuffling from Catra as she turned to face Adora for a more comfortable position.

“Hey… I just remembered something,” Catra whispered, her voice quiet and hoarse.

“What’s that?”

“I checked out the amount of money we still have earlier,” Catra said. “It’s a fair bit, but buying those canoes, surfboards and other things has rung us a little bit short overall. I’m afraid we might not have enough to get out of Alaska once our journey is over.”

“Oh…” Adora mumbled. “Well… What should we do?”

To Adora’s horror, she suddenly heard an almost evil chuckle from Catra. Immediately, a cold shiver went up Adora’s spine. “I seem to remember you making a certain promise when we purchased those canoes…” Catra whispered. “Something about getting a job to get that money back…”

“Oh, no…” Adora groaned, having never worked a day in her life. This seemed to make Catra more amused.

“Don’t worry,” Catra whispered. “I know just the job that’ll be perfect for you once we hit Vegas.”


	8. Vegas, Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora finishes up with her job. Catra meets a few new people.

Even after all these months, the streets of Las Vegas never got old for Catra.

She wandered alone, her hands in the pockets of her denim jacket as she headed towards the usual place she visited almost every day. All around her, drunk couples walked towards their hotel, people headed from place to place looking to get lucky in her their own way, and cars sped up and down the streets.

Catra knew that if Chris were to see all this, he’d probably find it toxic or uncomfortable to be in. After all, on his journey, he tried to get back into society part way through, and failed upon seeing the worst aspects of it all. Namely, the way society treated the people who could barely afford to keep a roof over their heads, or the people who didn’t know if they’d have a meal by the end of the day.

Vegas was far from perfect. Like much of everything else in Catra’s life, it was an interaction of the ugly and beautiful.

However, for Catra, she didn’t feel trapped or angry with the society around her. She never went on this journey as a middle finger to humanity. She was on this journey for a much more personal reason. It didn’t stop Catra from having her opinions on the state of things, most of which Adora was very familiar with by now, but those were rarely a contribution to her reasoning behind this journey.

Catra approached a large building with flashing neon signs out the front of it. She had visited this place often. When she entered, she was greeted with two halves of the building. In one half was a large row of slot machines, and in the other half was a relatively nice restaurant. Catra decided to go to the former half, taking a seat at one of the machines.

It was almost tradition at this point to simply put in a few dollars and see how she went. As she pulled the lever, she glanced around herself. People surrounded her, most of them staring blankly at the slot machines before them, endlessly pooling in money and getting almost nothing out of it.

Catra looked at the machine before her to see a mismatch of numbers. She shrugged, only losing a few dollars as she stood up and headed to the other half of the building, where she usually spent more time.

As she sat at the restaurant, she looked around at various other areas. A few tables with other groups, the bar where people sat and drank the night away, and she even caught glimpses of a hectic kitchen. It was a busy place like always.

Soon enough, Catra saw a waitress place a drink on her table. She didn’t even have to look as she smiled. “Hey Adora,” Catra spoke to her waitress.

Standing over Catra was Adora, who had been working as a waitress at this building for the last few months in order to make up for the promise she kept over the canoes. She wore a white button-up shirt with a black tie, and black denim pants to match the tie as she looked down at Catra, holding a circular black plate under her arm as she put a hand on her hip. “Having a nice night?” Adora asked.

“About the same as usual,” Catra responded as she took a sip from her drink, looking up at her waitress. “Job treating you okay today?”

“About the same as usual,” Adora mirrored her partner’s words. “Thankfully, I don’t have to work here much longer. One more pay check and I think we’ll be good to go. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t despise the job. I just don’t think this kind of work is cut out for me.”

“I can understand that,” Catra responded. “I know you’re just keeping a promise, but I do appreciate how much effort you’ve put into all this. It means a lot.”

“Well, I’ve always been a firm believer in keeping my promises,” Adora smiled. “Besides, I get to come home to a nice tent on the outskirts of the city with a lovely view. What’s there to complain about?”

“Ever the optimist,” Catra scoffed.

“Anyway…” Adora pulled out a small notebook. “What can I get you on this lovely evening?”

“I guess I’ll have the usual,” Catra shrugged. “I just wanted to see how you were doing, really.”

“I appreciate it,” Adora said as she wrote Catra’s usual order of salmon in her notebook. “I’ll be back with your order soon, ma’am,” Adora teased.

Catra could only chuckle as Adora went back into the kitchen. At first, the job seemed to exhaust her greatly, and Catra even suggested at one point that she didn’t have to go so far to make up for the canoe money. But Adora was determined to make up for the lost money, and she was as stubborn as a mule when it came to paying Catra back.

In a way, Catra admired Adora’s sheer tenacity.

As Catra looked around the restaurant, her eyes rested on one table in particular. She saw two people, one woman with a slim body, freckles on her cheek, waist-length blonde hair and brown eyes. The other person was a man in a messy suit and almost bald hair, who seemed to be talking at the woman, but not with her.

Catra narrowed her eyes, and she could see that the woman was visibly uncomfortable. She looked down at the table before her, her eyebrows low and her mouth curved into a frown. Somehow, the man talking at her failed to notice of her body language. It didn’t take long for Catra to realize what was going on.

She got out of her seat, going over to the table. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she felt like there was a frog in her throat, but nonetheless, Catra sat at the table next to the woman. “Hey, there you are! I’ve been looking all over for you!” Catra said to the woman, despite knowing next to nothing about her.

Catra made eye contact with the woman. It was only a few seconds, but it was all that was needed as she saw the woman almost immediately untense her shoulders. “Do you two know each other or something?” The messy man asked, pointing between Catra and the woman.

“Yes!” The woman immediately answered. “This is my friend. We were just about to pay the bill and leave, weren’t we?” The woman said to Catra, putting a hand on her arm.

“Sounds about right,” Catra replied. She looked to the man with an intense gaze. Not so much a glare, but more a prolonged, unblinking stare in an attempt to make him uncomfortable. And thankfully, it seemed to have worked.

“Right… I guess I’ll get out of your hair then. It was nice meeting you,” the man said to the woman, to which she only returned with a small wave. The man hesitated a bit more, but eventually, he walked over to the slot machines.

Almost instantly, the woman let out a long, deep breath as she looked up to Catra. “Thank you so, so much. I thought he’d never leave me alone,” the woman said to Catra.

“I’m just thankful I caught sight of it when I did. Are you here alone or something?” Catra asked her.

“Thankfully, no. My girlfriend, Scorpia, is just off paying for our food. He basically came in as soon as she left, and I’m not all too good with conflict. I wanted to tell him to go away, but…” The woman sighed. “I suppose I should’ve seen it coming.”

“Hey, don’t say that,” Catra shook her head. “Just because that shit happens doesn’t mean it should be the norm. He should’ve realized he was making you uncomfortable and left. It’s not your fault. Do you want me to stay with you until your girlfriend gets back?”

“If… that’s alright. You’ve truly done more than enough for me,” the woman responded. “Oh! I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Perfuma.”

“Catra. You enjoying your time here, despite that shitty situation?” She asked, resting her elbows on the table.

“Oh, absolutely! Truthfully, I’m not sure if I would like it here alone, but being here with Scorpia has been amazing. We’ve only been here for a few days,” Perfuma explained. “Scorpia actually won the trip for us here thanks to a competition she entered on a whim. How lucky is that?”

“That sounds pretty cool,” Catra replied. “I’m just here with a friend of mine. We’re, uh… on a road trip of sorts.”

“Oh, I’ve always wanted to go on one of those!” Perfuma beamed.

As they talked, Catra suddenly spotted another figure approaching them. A woman taller than almost anyone in the building, with a strong physique and short, white hair. She gave about an intimidating aura as she stared down at Catra. 

“Uh… Who are you?” The tall woman said to Catra, but immediately, Catra felt Perfuma wrap her hands around her left arm.

“This is Catra! She just helped me out a few minutes ago when some guy wouldn’t leave me alone,” Perfuma explained. She looked to Catra, pointing to the tall woman. “This is Scorpia, my girlfriend I was telling you about.”

“Wait, wait, what happened?” Scorpia asked as she sat next to Perfuma. “You okay?”

“Oh, I’m fine, don’t worry. It was just a really, really awkward and uncomfortable situation. I thought I’d be stuck talking to him until you came over, and even then, if he learned we were girlfriends, he might not have believed us…” Perfuma sighed, but soon, she had a smile on her face. “But then comes Catra, pretending to be my friend, and she gets him to go away!”

Scorpia gasped slightly, before grabbing Perfuma’s hand. “I am so sorry I wasn’t here! I should’ve been quicker at paying, I just got all muddled up when it came to using the credit card and… Oh, Perfuma, I’m sorry. I should’ve been here.”

“Hey…” Perfuma rested her hand on Scorpia’s cheek, and soon, she moved in and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. “It’s okay. I don’t blame you one bit for it, alright?”

Scorpia squeezed Perfuma’s hand a little tighter, before she turned to Catra. “I… don’t know how to thank you. Normally I’d just give you a hug, but I don’t think that could really make up for how much you helped us tonight. I was always scared of something like that happening.”

“Really, you don’t have to thank me or repay me for anything,” Catra waved her hands in dismissal. “We’ve just got to look out for each other, and I’m glad I caught the situation when I did. That’s all. You two being safe is really all the thanks I’ll need.”

You’re too kind,” Perfuma smiled at Catra. “But I think Scorpia and I would feel terrible if we didn’t do something. In fact… I think I’ve got an idea.”

“What is it?” Scorpia asked her girlfriend. Perfuma placed a gentle hand on Scorpia’s arm.

“Well, when we won this trip, wasn’t it meant to be for four people?” Perfuma asked Scorpia.

“Yeah, but we didn’t know which two other people to bring along,” Scorpia said, remembering the situation.

“Well, apparently Catra here brought along a friend as well. So…” Perfuma tilted her head, and Scorpia immediately knew what she was getting at. She didn’t hesitate to nod, agreeing with Perfuma’s plan.

“What? What’s the situation?” Catra asked as Perfuma turned to face her.

“Well, thanks to this trip we won, we got to stay in this really nice five-star hotel down the road. It’s got so many floors, and the rooms are incredible. This trip won us two double rooms, but since we couldn’t find two other people to bring along, one of those rooms is empty. But since you and your friend are here… Well, I don’t know where you’re staying, but we’d like to offer you a night in that other double room,” Perfuma said. “It would only be for tonight, since we leave tomorrow, but…”

Catra couldn’t believe her luck. This couple she had ran into was now giving her a chance to stay in not only a warm room for the night, a luxury Catra hadn’t received in a while, but it was also a high-quality, five-star room. Something Catra only ever dreamed of staying in.

Catra could barely open her mouth to respond. She was stunned by the opportunity, and her voice had almost ceased to function. Perfuma’s eyes narrowed in worry. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to… We just…”

“N… No, no, no!” Catra interrupted. “I’m just… Are you serious? You’re offering us a room?”

“Like I said, it would only be for tonight, but… It’s one of the highest rated hotels in Vegas, and you really helped us out so much tonight,” Perfuma said. Those words confirmed in Catra’s mind that she didn’t mishear Perfuma. This was a legitimate offer to stay in somewhere other than a tent for the first time in nearly half a year. The last time they got this chance was in Texas.

Catra looked over to Adora, who was busy putting food on other people’s tables. She’d receive her pay check tonight, and Catra had already planned to leave Vegas by tomorrow or the next day, so if anything, this could be considered an award for her travel partner after all the work put in.

With that in mind, Catra turned to Perfuma with a grin. “We’d love to!”

* * *

“And where do you think you’re going?”

As Adora left her workplace for the last time, having just quit after receiving her last pay check, she couldn’t help but feel a little ecstatic that she was finally free from that labor for now. She counted the notes in her hand, smiling all the while.

As she left, she suddenly heard a familiar voice speak, and looked over her shoulder to see Catra leaning against the wall just beside the front entrance. Adora pocketed her money as she looked at her partner. “I was heading back to the tent. I thought you’d be there by now.”

“Nah. I’ve packed all our gear,” Catra nodded to Adora’s pack on the ground beside herself.

“We’re… leaving already?” Adora cocked her head to the side. “I mean… I appreciate you packing our gear, but I really don’t feel up to walking right now, Catra… Work has me wiped.”

“I know. We’re not going anywhere tonight, don’t worry,” Catra shook her head as she handed Adora her pack. “But I’ve got a surprise for you. Just follow me, alright?”

“If you say so…” Adora mumbled, grabbing her pack and following her partner in the opposite direction of where they usually camped. Catra seemed a lot more energetic than usual, and Adora wasn’t sure whether to be happy or nervous about that.

The two travellers wandered for a few minutes down the streets of Vegas, and towards a more luxurious part of the city. Adora was a tad worried that all the money she had been saving up for the last few months was about to all disappear in the blink of an eye, but knowing Catra, that likely wasn’t the case.

As Adora dodged a few people, she suddenly saw Catra gestured towards a large, five-star hotel. “Adora… Allow me to introduce you to our home for the night,” Catra said with a grin.

Adora wondered if Catra was pointing somewhere else. She looked around, but ultimately, she realized she wasn’t going blind. “That hotel? Isn’t a stay there, like… thousands of dollars?” Adora asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes… But tonight, I made a few new friends who had won a couple of rooms in that very hotel. But due to some circumstances, they currently occupy one, whilst the other is empty,” Catra put a hand on Adora’s shoulder. “And tonight, that empty room will be our domain.”

“Are… Are you serious?” Adora chuckled. “Really?”

“Adora, you have worked… insanely hard for the last few months. And frankly, I think you deserve some compensation at the end of it all. So consider this,” Catra pointed to the hotel, “your reward.”

“I…” Adora struggled to find the words to express how she felt as she shook her head. “I just… Are you sure? Shouldn’t someone, like… more deserving of us get the room? Maybe someone less fortunate than us? It just… feels wrong.”

“Oh, Adora…” Catra sighed. She took a step towards her partner. “You’ve really got an empathetic heart for others,” Catra said as she placed a hand on Adora’s shoulder. “It’s super annoying.”

“Yeah, I know… It’s just… I guess I feel selfish,” Adora scratched the back of her head, looking at the floor. “Sorry. I know I should be grateful. It’s just… Seeing all the people without homes and such in these last few months… I guess I just want to do something for them.”

“I know, Adora… I feel the same way. Trust me,” Catra replied. “You know, I actually made a promise to myself about a year back. Once this journey is done, any leftover money I have that I saved up for the journey is going to go to people that need it more than me. I was waiting to tell you that until after the journey was over, but… There you go. Does that sound good to you?”

“… I actually really like that idea,” Adora smiled.

“I just really want to do something for you here, okay? I can tell when you’re exhausted, and you have been occasionally for the last few months. So think of this as my way of thanking you. Not just for the trip but for… Well, everything,” Catra replied as they walked towards the large hotel.

“Catra…” Adora spoke softly, smiling as she looked down at her partner. Catra soon approached the front desk, and Adora looked around the large lobby, a water fountain in the middle of it all. The marble floor gave off her reflection, and the soft couches could almost serve as beds themselves.

Soon enough, Catra came back with the keys for their room, jingling them in her hand with a smile on her face. “We’re on one of the top floors with a pretty amazing view of the city. You ready?” Catra said with a grin.

“I’m just ready for a soft bed,” Adora replied as she followed Catra towards the large elevator. The elevator was made almost entirely of glass, meaning Adora could look out to the city as it slowly began to rise multiple floors. It was dizzying, but oddly beautiful as well.

The neon signs, lights and cars gave off a sense of humanity as Adora looked down on Las Vegas. The city she had been watching from afar at day, and working in by night. Now she was going to spend one last night in the center of it all.

When the elevator reached one of the top floors, the doors soon opened to a nice hallway with a soft carpet. Adora followed behind Catra to their room, which wasn’t too far down the hallway. She slid the key inside the lock of the door, and opened it up.

“Holy shit,” Catra gawked at the room before them. Two large beds, surrounded by an almost movie-like TV screen. On the back wall was a large window, revealing the city beneath them. The room was almost too massive as Catra circled around, looking all over.

“I don’t think we’d be able to afford this in years,” Adora said quietly as she looked around the room. She approached one of the beds, and soon, flopped face-first onto it. “Ish sho shoft!” She spoke, her voice mumbled by the bed.

“You doofus,” Catra chuckled as she looked at her partner. She soon put her pack down, stretching her arms above her head. “Alright… First things first, I’m going to have a hot shower. I haven’t been able to do that in ages.”

“I keep telling you, sprinklers are a great substitute!” Adora raised a finger, smirking at her partner. Catra didn’t even bother to answer as she stepped towards the bathroom.

All around her was practically white marble, with a mirror larger than any she had ever seen, and a shower with an unnecessary amount of room. There was also a single bath with room for two, but Catra decided she didn’t need to use that tonight.

Once Catra had stripped her clothes, she entered the shower and slowly turned it on. She was surprised just how much room there was in the shower, but more importantly, she was glad just how warm it was. Being able to wash herself properly after all these months was absolute bliss.

She ran her hands through her messy hair, feeling flakes and dirt wash out for the first time in ages. It wasn’t the prettiest sight, but she felt absolutely incredible once she had cleaned herself up just a bit. Mostly, she just wanted the dirt and gunk off herself.

As Catra washed her arm, she couldn’t help but think of just how far this journey had come. The partner she had travelled with was a stranger only half a year ago, and now she was her dearest friend, and someone she wanted to be with for life.

But she wasn’t sure if she wanted to be with Adora in a friendly way or something more. Catra had practically already accepted she had a crush on Adora. She was just stuck in a state of how to progress things. After all, she didn’t even know if Adora was into women. Catra felt like asking her out would be putting unnecessary pressure on her.

And yet, her heart screamed at her to do it. There was no guarantee that she’d be with Adora forever after this journey, and the opportunity might be lost once they left Alaska and finished things up. Catra knew she’d regret it for the rest of her life.

It was a battle between what she wanted to do, and the real consequences that may come with it.

Catra soon cut the shower after a few minutes. She stepped out, but soon found that, despite the luxurious state of the bathroom, it was missing one thing. “Hey Adora!” Catra called out. “Is there towels in there?”

“Yeah! Do you need some?” Adora asked.

“Please!”

A few seconds passed, and soon enough, the doorknob turned. The bathroom door creaked open just a tad, and Adora’s hand slid through the small gap, holding a towel in her hand. Catra was thankful that Adora respected her privacy, but in her mind, she couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like if Adora saw her naked.

“Thanks,” Catra said, taking the towel and drying herself off, including her messy hair. Once she had rubbed the towel vigorously on the top of her head, she looked up and into the mirror to see herself.

It had been a while since Catra looked into the mirror. Almost half a year now. Who she was now was way different than back then. She noticed her eyes were a little bit more open, and her mouth was curved upwards a tad more. Small changes, but they all added up.

Catra never really liked looking at herself in the mirror. But today, she took a few seconds to admire the person looking back at her.

Catra soon emerged from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her body as she went for her pack. She noticed Adora had taken the time to put on a long, white gown, and she had taken her hair down from its familiar ponytail. She looked completely and utterly relaxed.

“That was probably one of the best showers I’ve ever had,” Catra sighed as Adora instinctively looked away, giving Catra time to drop the towel and get her own white robe from the closet. “You should really try it out whenever you can.”

“I will. Promise,” Adora replied as Catra dressed herself as comfortably as she could. Catra saw one bed was empty and ready for her, but at the same time, there was also room next to Adora on her bed. And it seemed like she was scrolling through a list of movies.

“You trying to find something to watch?” Catra asked, trying to drive away attention from the fact that she just sat down next to Adora on her bed.

But Adora definitely noticed.

“Yeah. Just a movie before we sleep, I guess,” Adora shrugged. “It’s been a while since I’ve had the time to watch something. I used to do it every Friday after school. It’s almost like a distant memory now.”

“Do you miss it?” Catra asked as Adora decided on a fun, animated movie with a few heavy emotions strewn throughout. Adora leaned over, flicking off the lights in the room. All that was left were the lights of the city shining through the window, and the beaming TV screen.

“I guess so. The comforts of life… I suppose you never really appreciate them until they’re gone, huh?” Adora chuckled. “But at the same time… I’d do it all over again for this journey. This has changed my life. I know we’re only halfway there but… I think you’ve helped me become a better version of myself. I know tonight was meant to be as a thanks to me, but… I want to thank you too, Catra.”

The two adventurers looked at each other with heart-warming smiles in that dark room. It was nothing but the neon signs, the screen, and their eyes, sparkling as they looked into each other’s. Catra’s smile slowly faded, and Adora’s did the same.

And more than ever, in that moment, they wanted to kiss each other.

Catra’s body moved on its own. She reached up, and without thinking, placed a hand on Adora’s cheek. Adora gasped slightly at the warm touch, and she wasn’t sure how to react. She didn’t hate it. In fact, she really, really liked it.

Adora felt her heart rate pick up almost immediately. She looked at her partner, and she began to notice that the distance between them was slowly closing. What did this mean? Neither of them knew what the other wanted. They didn’t know how the other felt.

Adora realized that, right here, she could seal her first kiss. She could simply take Catra’s lips with her own, and enter a whole new world. But why should she do that? Why should she overstep her boundaries and ruin everything after all this time? Adora had to beat down her heart, and quiet her senses.

And so, they met. Their foreheads pressed against the other. And they closed their eyes.

Adora felt close with Catra. Catra felt close with Adora.

They loved each other. And yet the words never came.


	9. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scorpia and Perfuma further help Adora and Catra along in their journey. Adora tries to wrap her head around her own sexuality and who she loves. A reunion occurs.

“One of these days, you’re going to have to come out, Adora!”

“Give me a break! This is the first warm shower I’ve had in so long!”

Catra stood by the entrance of their hotel room, waiting on her partner. She had her own pack strapped around her shoulders, and she was about ready to leave. All that hindered her was Adora, who had been showering for the last fifteen minutes.

Perfuma and Scorpia had woken them about an hour ago to let them know that they had to leave soon as per the reservations. Catra couldn’t help but admit she was glad to be getting to some place new. Being stuck in Vegas for so long had made her feel both claustrophobic and nervous.

The empty roads out of Vegas would be a challenge, but Catra had already taken the liberty of preparing her and Adora for the long journey. From here, it was a straight shot into South Dakota, and then all the way to their final destination of Alaska.

These straight shots could prove to be the longest parts of the journey, or the shortest. That depended entirely on their luck when it came to freight trains, public transportation and hitchhiking. Catra hoped they wouldn’t have to walk the entire way.

Eventually, Catra heard the shower finally cut. It took a few minutes, but eventually, Adora emerged, dried and fully clothed as she stretched her arms above her head and let out a yawn. “You happy now?” Adora asked.

“Very much so. Now come on,” Catra pushed Adora’s pack towards her as they headed for the entrance. Adora did a quick scan to make sure they hadn’t left anything behind as Catra opened the door.

And immediately, she was greeted with Scorpia and Perfuma waiting outside.

“Oh… Uh, hey guys,” Catra gave a small wave to the couple.

“We can’t thank you enough for the room. It means a lot,” Adora put her chin on Catra’s shoulder, looking at Scorpia and Perfuma with a beaming smile.

“Ah, it was nothing… Really, you two are amazing,” Scorpia returned, scratching the back of her head.

“Are you here to send us off?” Catra asked.

“Actually…” Perfuma looked to hr girlfriend, and she gave a small nod. Slowly, the two of them turned to face Catra and Adora. “We were hoping to extend another offer to the two of you.”

“Another one?” Adora raised an eyebrow. “You really, really don’t have to… You’ve done more than enough for us. We don’t want to trouble you.”

“No, that’s the thing! It’s no trouble at all!” Scorpia grinned.

“We were thinking about this road trip the two of you are on. And we talked, and we realized that it was something we both wanted to do as well. So we decided that this holiday of ours isn’t quite over…” Perfuma explained.

“We got a van!” Scorpia finished, followed by a series of chuckles as Perfuma could only blush, smiling upon hearing the beautiful sound of her girlfriend’s laughter. “It’s huge too! There’s so much room!”

“That…” Catra looked to Adora, and she was met with a small wink from the blonde woman. “That sounds awesome! Where are you two headed?”

“We’re actually thinking of heading up east towards Colorado,” Perfuma said as she held Scorpia’s hand in her own, leaning her head on her girlfriend’s shoulder. “And if that’s where you two are going, well… We wanted to bring you along as well! But we don’t exactly know what the path is for you two, so if it’s inconvenient…”

“Well… Our next destination is South Dakota, right?” Adora asked, looking to her travel partner.

“Yeah, but Colorado is actually pretty damn close. We’d be like… a little over halfway there,” Catra replied. After the small exchange, it didn’t take long for Adora and Catra to give a small nod to each other. Soon, Catra turned to Scorpia and Perfuma with a smile. “We’ll take the offer.”

“Oh, great!” Scorpia clapped her hands in excitement as Perfuma put on a warm smile. “Look at us! Two sets of girlfriends on the road!”

“Oh, we’re not…” Adora felt her entire face flush red, and Catra was almost the exact same as she cleared her throat, feeling her heart almost stop.

“Scorpia, I told you they were just friends!” Perfuma put her hands on her hip, pouting up at Scorpia, who could only return with an awkward chuckle.

“Right… Sorry about that, you two…” Scorpia apologized, but neither Adora or Catra could get out any words as they did their very best to avoid eye contact with anything and anyone, less they reveal their true feelings.

“Well… If you’re ready, then we’ve already got the van parked underneath the hotel,” Perfuma spoke, trying to break the awkward silence. Catra took a deep breath, trying to push through the moment and put on a grin for Perfuma, no matter how weak it may have looked.

“Yeah, we’re all set to hit the road,” Catra spoke. Adora looked up as well, and gave a similar smile.

“Thank you two again. We’re really grateful,” Adora spoke. Scorpia looked between the two of them, and saw how similar their smiles were. How much they connected, and how much they looked after each other. Scorpia didn’t say anything, but she could only give a teasing smile to Perfuma as she nodded to the two travellers.

Perfuma could only sigh and walk, but internally, she was having the exact same thoughts as Scorpia: That there was something more going on between Adora and Catra, even if they didn’t know it themselves.

And so eventually, the four of them took the long elevator down to the underground parking lot.

The early morning sun shined on a hungover Las Vegas. It was nowhere near as alive as the previous night, but even then, it still had a sense of deep humanity within. Like a sleeping giant awaiting its time to go wild.

Eventually, the elevator doors opened to a dark underground carpark, where Catra’s footsteps echoed all throughout. The four of them approached a rather rundown looking van. “It’s not the most expensive, but… I think it’ll do,” Perfuma said as Scorpia opened the driver side door.

“If it can take us halfway across the country, I say price be damned,” Catra replied as she opened the large, sliding door on the side. There was a heap of room within the van, with only a sofa against the left side of the van and one mattress in the corner. There was two normal seats with seatbelts right behind the driver and passenger seat, but apart from that, it was almost completely empty.

Catra threw her pack in and jumped into the van, taking a seat on the sofa. Adora followed, taking her seat on the mattress as Perfuma got into the passenger side seat next to her girlfriend. Scorpia adjusted the rear-view mirror, looking at the travellers behind them. “You two ready to take off?” Scorpia asked.

Catra laid back on the sofa and flashed a thumbs-up. “Ready, boss,” Catra said in a teasing tone. Scorpia looked to Perfuma for a few seconds, before putting the key in the ignition and bringing the old van to life.

Eventually, Scorpia gently pressed her foot against the pedal. The van handled relatively good in her hands as it slowly began to accelerate onto its long journey east.

Adora looked out the window to her side to see the van slowly emerge from the carpark and into the morning streets of Vegas. A bright yellow hue mixed with the orange desert as the van slowly headed towards Colorado.

Halfway down. Halfway to go.

* * *

Adora awoke to the moonlight shining in her eyes.

She laid on the mattress, her hands rested on her stomach as she blinked. She had no idea how long she had been sleeping for, but she remembered that Scorpia had pulled over for a small nap before she conked out.

However, Adora felt the van slowly rock around. She looked up to see Scorpia driving again. The dash read the time as five in the morning. They had been on the road for nearly twenty-four hours at this rate.

Adora sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she looked over to Catra on the couch, still deep in sleep. Adora tilted her neck from side to side, cracking out the aches that had been building up from her sleeping position. “Morning,” she heard Scorpia whisper.

“You sleep okay?” Perfuma followed, looking over her shoulder to see Adora. The blonde woman stood up, going to the seat behind the driver and peering her head in between the two of them to look at the road ahead.

“As best as I could,” Adora replied to Perfuma.

“We’re pretty close to Colorado. We’re going to try and find a safe place for you two to get some transport to South Dakota. Don’t want to leave you stranded,” Scorpia chuckled.

“We really appreciate it,” Adora said. She felt like she was repeating herself too much, but she honestly couldn’t find any other words to say. This couple had managed to save them from weeks of walking.

“Hey, so… Perfuma and I were talking while you two were asleep,” Scorpia said as she kept her eye on the road. “We’ve been wondering about you two. Can’t help but be curious, you know? Just… Well, to be blunt, what’s got you on this road trip? Where’d you come from?”

“Don’t feel like you have to answer,” Perfuma interjected, but Adora waved a dismissive hand.

“It’s cool,” Adora said. “We’re both from Atlanta originally, though I only met Catra about a week before we left for this trip.”

“Seriously?” Scorpia asked. “The way you two act, I’d have assumed you’d be lifelong friends or something. How long have you been on this trip?”

“About half a year. We’ve been through a lot together. Sometimes it feels like we have been through a lifetime together,” Adora explained, looking over to the sleeping Catra. She smiled upon seeing her resting, adorable face.

“I, uh… I have to apologize for what I said earlier,” Scorpia stammered out after a few seconds. “I assumed you two were a couple and I could tell that made things uncomfortable. I’m sorry about that. My brain is sometimes miles behind my mouth.”

“Oh, Scorpia, you didn’t have to apologize,” Adora replied. She looked to Catra yet again, before letting out a long sigh. “Besides… You weren’t far off.”

“You two are together? Catra told me you were friends,” Perfuma asked, raising an eyebrow.

“We are friends. But… I… Look, can I trust you two to keep a secret?” Adora asked the two of them.

“We’re probably going to be splitting off from you two in a few hours. Whatever you say to us, stays with us,” Scorpia promised. Adora looked over to Catra one more time just to make sure she was asleep, before taking in a long, deep breath.

She looked to the moon for a few more seconds. And spoke those words.

“I’m… I’m in love with her.”

Immediately, a wave of tingles and comfort struck Adora all at once. It was the first time she had ever said those words. They’d been building for half a year, and getting them out felt like removing a giant boulder off her shoulders.

“And she doesn’t know?” Scorpia asked. Adora gave a small nod.

“Back when we were in Texas, we had a talk about sexuality and all that,” Adora explained. “I know she’s lesbian. But back then, I had absolutely no idea what I could’ve called myself. I think I just confused her more than anything… But now I know for sure. I know what to call myself.”

Perfuma looked to Adora. She didn’t try to force the words out. Coming out was an act done of one’s own will, and Perfuma understood very well that Adora needed to do it in her own time. And so, they gave Adora a few seconds as she took a breath.

“… Yeah. I’m… I’m a lesbian,” Adora said for the first time in her life.

And suddenly, it all felt clear.

Obviously, it was just a label. To some, it would mean nothing. But to Adora, it felt like everything had cleared up. Her mind was a little less hazy, and her heart was beginning to make more sense. “I… I guess I should tell Catra that soon. In case she… returns the feelings…” Adora shook her head. “Who am I kidding… Why would she ever love someone like me?”

“Hey, don’t say that,” Scorpia shook her head. “I can tell Catra really cares about you.”

“I guess… But all I’ve done is drag her down on this journey. The whole reason we stayed in Vegas for so long was because of my stupidity. I know Catra must be at least annoyed because of that,” Adora said. She felt a weight of guilt begin to build in her stomach, but soon enough, she felt Perfuma’s hand placed over her own.

“I can only assume so much… But I think Catra sees something in you that’s more than just your mistakes,” Perfuma said softly. “I don’t think she minds where she goes… As long as she’s with you. Of course, I’m only taking a guess. But… It’s similar to how I feel about Scorpia.”

Adora looked between the couple, and slowly, she leaned back, letting out a deep sigh. “I’m sorry for dumping that on you two so suddenly… My feelings are a fucking mess and I kinda spilt them on you two,” Adora apologized.

“Adora, the journey towards love and self-discovery can be a long and complex one. But having a helping hand along the way can make all the difference,” Perfuma said, smiling and placing a hand on Scorpia’s strong arm. “Back when I was going through my transition, Scorpia was always there for me. She helped me through the journey of discovering my true self.”

Scorpia slowly took Perfuma’s hand in her own, placing a kiss on the top of her hand as she kept her eyes on the road. Adora couldn’t help but feel a soft flutter in her heart at the cuteness of these two. “I can tell you’re both perfect for each other,” Adora said.

“She’s my everything,” Scorpia replied.

“We’re not saying you should come out to Catra immediately. That’s your own choice,” Perfuma explained. “But if you ever need a helping hand on this long journey… I think she’d be more than willing to help. After all, I assume she might have gone through a similar journey of self-discovery.”

“… Thanks, you two,” Adora replied as she sat back on the mattress. “I guess it’s hard, since… Well, she’s the reason I even made this whole discovery in the first place. What we’ve been through together… The way she smiles… The way she’s always so focused on what comes next…” Adora soon buried her face in her hands, letting out a groan. “Fuck… Now I know what the phrase ‘useless lesbian’ means… I’ve already become one.”

Perfuma let out a warm chuckle. “We’re here to talk if you need any more help or comfort, Adora. At least before we reach Colorado, alright?”

Adora nodded, and Perfuma turned to face the front window. Adora looked out to the sky, seeing the stars slowly disappear as the world lit up. Morning rolled around, and a new day emerged on this journey.

Adora’s adventure begun with a goal of Alaska. But now she was beginning to realize that this journey was taking on a different meaning for herself.

* * *

“You two are sure you’re going to be alright?”

Catra swung her pack over her shoulder as she exited the van, placing her feet on solid ground for the first time in over a day. The van had arrived in its first small town since arriving at Colorado, and Cara had suggested this be the place where they part ways.

“We should be fine. We’ll see what other transport we can find from here once we get a map,” Catra replied as Adora closed the sliding door of the van.

“We really hope we can see you again one day,” Perfuma said. That was all that was needed for Adora to slowly approach her for a hug, wrapping her arms around Perfuma’s shoulders and holding her close, and receiving the same treatment.

Catra was instead met with the biggest bear hug from Scorpia, who almost picked her up from the ground as she held her. Catra could barely return the hug, much less lift her arms thanks to Scorpia’s overwhelming strength. “You best be safe!” Scorpia said after letting Catra go.

“Will do…” Catra panted, trying to recover some oxygen after having it all squeezed out of her lungs.

“You have our number! Let us know when you get home!” Perfuma beamed. Adora gave a small nod.

“Until next time, alright?” Adora gave a small wave. As she and Catra began to walk off, Scorpia and Perfuma waved them all the goodbyes they could.

And then, they were separate.

“So what’s our first course of action?” Adora asked as Catra looked around the small town. The two of them heard the engine of the van kick to life again as Scorpia and Perfuma drove off into the opposite direction.

“Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m fucking starved,” Catra stretched her arms above her head as her eyes locked onto a nearby diner.

“I was hoping you’d say that,” Adora sighed as she felt her stomach rumble. After all, they had plenty of cash to spare now, so the two of them decided that some diner food was well worth it.

Adora and Catra crossed the street and entered the diner. The smell of the diner gave Adora a sense of nostalgia for a memory she never had. The quiet music from the jukebox and smell from the kitchen almost made Adora feel like a young kid again.

“I’ll find us a seat. I think you know what I want,” Adora said to Catra, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Pancakes and syrup coming right up,” Catra replied with a smirk as Adora turned towards the row of colorful benches to sit at.

And immediately, Adora felt her whole body freeze with shock as her eyes rested on Glimmer and Bow sitting at one of the booths.

They hadn’t seemed to have noticed her. They were focused on the food in front of them. But in that moment, Adora had an almost out of body experience. It had been over six months since she had last seen her best friends. They had graduated. They were probably in college by now.

Slowly, Adora walked over to the booth. It didn’t take long for Glimmer to realize someone was staring at them, and when she looked up into Adora’s eyes, her fork dropped from her hand, smashing against the ground as she suddenly stood up.

“A… Adora?!” Glimmer spoke, flabbergasted. Bow’s head suddenly spun around, and all three of them were almost completely frozen for a few moments as their hearts began to race.

It was Bow who immediately leapt into Adora’s arm.

Glimmer soon followed, and Adora wrapped her strong arms around her best friends as she hugged them. Everyone in the diner was looking at them, but they didn’t care.

“Let me look at you,” Glimmer gasped, backing off and looking at Adora. She could see the scratches and bruises that had been building up, despite the shower yesterday. But more importantly, she could see that Adora’s eyes were brighter than ever.

“What are you two doing here?” Adora asked them.

“We’re on mid-year break from college. We took a holiday together up here. Glimmer told me she wanted to come to this place, but she never told me why,” Bow chuckled as he put an arm around the short woman. “Did you know Adora would be here?”

“My gut did, I guess. I just… felt like I had to come here,” Glimmer smiled. The two of them invited Adora to sit at their booth, since there was enough room for four people. “Where’s your partner?” Glimmer asked as she took a seat next to Bow.

Right on cue, Catra walked over with a few hot plates in her hand. One of them was stacked high with pancakes, whilst the other had crispy bacon and scrambled eggs on a piece of toasted sourdough bread. “I see we’ve got a happy reunion here,” Catra chuckled as she sat next to her partner.

“You two are in college now?” Adora asked.

“We enrolled in the same one! How lucky is that?” Bow asked as Adora dug into her food.

“I think you actually helped us out with exams,” Glimmer said to Adora. “After you went missing, the school went crazy. We got pulled out of our exams to talk to the police of all things. But we got to do it at a later date, which means I could have more time to cram.”

“The… The police talked to you?” Adora asked, her eyes wide. She noticed Catra’s face had turned into a frown upon mention of the law, though she kept going at her food nonetheless.

“You’re labelled as missing, Adora. Your parents freaked out for a while, but now… I think they’re just sad,” Bow explained as Adora looked at the table before her.

“So now they care…” Adora scoffed.

“Adora… How long are you going to be gone for? A lot of people at the school miss you. We miss you…” Bow said.

“I know, I know… But…” Adora looked to Catra, and then to her friends. She let out a sigh. “This journey… has meant so, so much to me. I’ve found a happiness I haven’t had for a while… And I’m not going to quit halfway. From here, we’re heading to South Dakota, and then to Alaska. And… then we’ll be back.”

“Maybe,” Catra mumbled.

Glimmer looked to Catra for a few seconds, her eyes narrowing. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Glimmer asked.

“Maybe we don’t feel like coming back into the hands of a bunch of fucking pigs?” Catra spoke with venom in her voice. Adora put a hand on Catra’s shoulder. Catra looked to her partner for a few seconds. Eventually, she let out a sigh. “Look… I’m not going to take away your friend or whatever. But it doesn’t help knowing that we’re not exactly going to get a warm welcome once this is all over.”

“I get it,” Bow replied to her. “Look, we can’t force anything on you two. And we are being selfish. But we miss our friend. And we just want her to be safe.”

Catra looked at her food for a few moments. Eventually, she shook her head. “You’re not being selfish. Frankly, your short friend scared the shit out of me before we left. So… I’m obligated to return Adora once this is all over. We just… might need to figure something out,” Catra said to Bow.

Almost immediately, Bow turned to Glimmer with a frown. “Did you threaten Catra before they left?” Bow asked, and Glimmer could only scratch the back of her head as she chuckled awkwardly.

“Maybe a little…” Glimmer said, but as she looked to Catra, she was met with a raised eyebrow. “… Okay, I may have threatened to kill her if something happened to Adora.”

“You may have?” Adora asked. There was a silence between the four of them for a few moments, before eventually, Catra melted into a few snickers. This turned into the four of them joining into a series of chuckles. Above all else, this was a reunion that three of them had been waiting for.

And for Catra, she was just glad Adora was smiling.

“You know…” Bow chuckled. “If you’re heading to South Dakota after this, we might be able to help you out.”

“Really?” Adora asked. She looked to see Glimmer dig around in her own pockets, before raising a set of keys.

“Yours truly finally got herself a license and a hand-me-down car,” Glimmer boasted. “We can get you the rest of the way there, though we might not be able to get you to Alaska.”

“Just South Dakota is fine!” Catra perked up. She looked to Adora, the two of them barely being able to believe their luck.

“Road trip with the best friends squad!” Bow hooted, and Adora burst into laughter at hearing her friend’s positive voices once again. “Oh, Adora, I’ve got something to show you in Glimmer’s car! I’ve been working on a script for that show we made up as kids to turn it into a cartoon!”

Adora immediately shot up out of her seat. “Super Flying Nacho Girl?!” Adora asked, and Bow gave an enthusiastic nod. “Let me see this wonderful creation!” Adora beamed, and Bow almost ran out of the diner, Adora following behind him.

“They’re a couple of dorks,” Glimmer chuckled as Catra watched Adora and Bow run together. She noticed Adora had already managed to finish her meal. She didn’t realize Adora was THAT hungry.

As Catra returned to her food, Glimmer spoke up. “I’ve actually been wondering something for a while now,” Glimmer said.

Catra looked up. “What’s that?”

“Well, the whole school was covered in missing posters for Adora for a while. And the news spread around town like crazy,” Glimmer explained. She soon leaned forward and looked directly into Catra’s eyes. “But I didn’t hear a single peep about you. Not even a poster.”

Catra immediately looked away from Glimmer’s questioning eyes, knowing that Glimmer had discovered something that she was trying to keep hidden from Adora. “Look…” Glimmer sighed. “I can tell you do care about Adora. I can tell this journey means a lot to you. I don’t think you have some secret plot to kidnap Adora going on. After all, she’s been writing to us frequently. So I’m not about to turn you in or whatever. Dealing with police is the absolute last thing I want to do in my lifetime. I always feel uneasy around them.”

Catra looked out the window for a few more seconds, before looking back at Glimmer, feeling a bit more comfortable. “Then what do you want to know?” Catra asked.

“Well… Do you have a family? Are you even from Atlanta?” Glimmer asked. Catra looked out towards Adora for a few more seconds. She saw her beaming smile. Her bright eyes. Her long hair.

“… I had a family,” Catra replied, taking a bite of bread. She looked to Glimmer, and met her direct eye contact. “But I don’t consider my relatives family. My family is Adora now.”


	10. South Dakota

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora and Catra help out on a dairy farm. Catra finds happiness with the people around her.

“I think this is about as far as we can take you…”

“It’s far enough.”

Glimmer’s car slowly pulled into a tiny town near the border of South Dakota. They had just crossed state lines and reached their final goal before Alaska, and all around the four of them was fields, crops and farm animals on sprawling hills.

The town was almost pulled straight out of a Western movie, with wooden buildings and sandy roads. Glimmer parked outside a nearby saloon as Catra stepped out of the backseat, going towards the boot of the car to retrieve their packs.

The trip had taken a little less than half the day, but the entire time, Adora never stopped speaking to her two friends. It was nice to catch-up after so long, especially since Glimmer and Bow had gone to so many new places in their lives.

It was a reminder of the life Adora left behind. And the life waiting for her once she returned home.

If she returned home.

“You two are going to be okay out here, right?” Bow asked as Catra tossed Adora’s pack to her partner, slinging hers over her shoulder.

“We’ve been in the more desolate places. Worse comes to worse, we’ll hike it to whatever town is nearby this one,” Catra shrugged. “Where are you two headed, anyway?”

“We promised our parents we’d be back home by the end of the week, so that’s why we can’t take you to Alaska,” Glimmer explained. “As much as we’d love to.”

“Ah, I think this is better actually,” Adora beamed as she walked around the front of the car towards her friends. “This is meant to be an adventure. Finding our own way to things. As much as we really, really appreciate the ride, I don’t think being driven by our best friends all the way from Colorado to Alaska would be as fulfilling as finding our own way there, you know?”

“Spoken like a true traveller,” Bow scoffed as Glimmer leaned up to hug Adora closely. They knew this was another goodbye, but this time, it didn’t feel as gut-wrenching. Glimmer could see that Adora was almost a different person. If she had been able to survive all this way, she’d be able to survive the rest of the journey towards Alaska.

“I love you,” Glimmer said to Adora as they hugged. “You’ll keep writing to us, right? Don’t think you can get lazy and stop now.”

“I promise, I promise,” Adora chuckled as she split from the hug. “I love you too, Glimmer.”

Catra watched as Bow went to hug Adora next. It was a confusing state for her to see all of the love these three shared. On the one hand, it was nice to see Adora so happy. It was clear she missed her friends, so being able to see them would be a massive boost for her.

But on the other hand, Catra couldn’t help but be reminded of the lack of positive company waiting for her at home.

“I’ll get pictures for you two once we’re in Alaska, alright?” Adora smiled as she separated from Bow. Despite the goodbyes, Adora never felt like she was on the verge of tears. If anything, she was simply more excited to move forward with this journey, and show her friends her accomplishments at the end of it all.

“Just promise us you’ll come back with all your limbs attached,” Bow replied, and Adora gave a firm nod. He turned to Catra. “You make sure she sticks to that promise.”

“I’ll do my best,” Catra smirked.

Bow turned back to Adora, and they took one last moment to simply take in each other’s company. Their presence and their love. Adora took a breath, and smiled. “Well… I’ll see you two soon.”

And so, Adora stepped forward.

Catra walked alongside her as they walked deeper into town. Bow and Glimmer watched them walk away, and they knew that Adora would be in good hands for the rest of this trip. Glimmer remembered when she first left Adora with Catra, and the anxiety that was exploding in her system.

Now, she only felt joy for her friend.

Adora looked around the mostly desolate town, not noticing any homes or motels, or anywhere to hire some transportation or take a bus. “Seems like we’re off to a rocky start when it comes to South Dakota,” Adora said, sighing as she looked from empty building to empty building.

“When Chris was here, he would work the grain elevators with a guy called Wayne. He made a few friends with the job, and got a bit of cash,” Catra explained as the two of them walked down the sandy road. “He was a hard worker. But he had trouble staying in one place for too long. Still, he wrote to Wayne as often as he could, even after he left. I think he made a real friend there.”

“Guy really seemed to connect with people, and yet he was always alone,” Adora commented. “I guess that’s where you and I are different from him. I could never imagine taking this journey without you now.”

Catra looked to Adora as she spoke, but almost immediately, those words made her look away to hide her red face. Adora had a way of unintentionally making her blush, which she wasn’t quite sure if she hated yet.

But as Catra looked away, she soon gazed upon a pinboard on one of the buildings. It seemed to be a whole bunch of posters, including some casual job offers. Catra wandered over to the pinboard, and Adora followed behind her.

“We don’t need any extra money, do we?” Adora asked as Catra scanned the list of jobs to take.

“We don’t…” Catra mumbled, before glancing at one job that made her eyes light up. “But I’m going to tell you a secret,” Catra said as she turned to face her partner, “I have always wanted to help out on a farm. Just for one day.”

“R… Really?” Adora asked with a scoff, having never imagined Catra in that line of work.

“I know it sounds dumb! Trust me, there’s no way I’d want it to be a permanent thing,” Catra shook her head. “But… Just for one day, I think rounding up some cattle and walking amongst the large grassy fields of hay would be a delight. Farms have always looked beautiful to me. And I think this place is filled with them. You can see in the distance.”

“So why are you telling me this?” Adora asked. Catra smirked as she turned to the pinboard, and pointed to one of the flyers.

“Because I think I’m about to make one of my dreams come true.”

Adora looked to the flyer Catra pointed to and read the large text. “Help wanted… A strong hand or two to assist a dairy farm with rounding up a new herd of cows,” Adora read out. “And it seems like that’s listed for… today.”

Adora looked down to her travel partner, and saw that Catra had a wide grin on her face as she crossed her arms. “Looks like whatever deity is controlling my luck was particularly happy today. So…” Catra looked up to Adora. “Think you can be up for one more day of hard work?”

* * *

The blistering heat and intense sweat down Adora’s red face was unmatched by the joy she felt upon hearing Catra’s laughter.

Adora watched as Catra jogged behind a small herd of confused cows, being helped by a few other farmhands. They had managed to herd the cows from paddock to another across a large, hay-filled field. Even better, it all had to be done uphill as the intense sun beamed down on them.

But for Adora, she didn’t mind too much. She was impressed with how easily she was able to keep ahead of the cows, and she thought back to when she first left for this journey and could barely walk for half a day.

Indeed, Adora felt like she had become much stronger and much fitter. And for that, she was proud of herself.

She could see that Catra had acquired a straw hat from one of the other farmhands, and she couldn’t help but find her travel partner oddly cute in it. Adora wore denim shorts and a sleeveless red shirt herself, trying to combat the heat.

The herd of cows had been chased uphill by a few dogs and farmhands, Catra included, and it was Adora’s job to make sure they didn’t run too far and instead turned towards a large gate into a paddock. Adora worked with only one other person, the head of the farm, so her job was a lot tamer.

But both travellers received good pay by the end of it all, so she didn’t mind.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you or that friend of yours ‘round town,” Adora’s temporary boss, the head of the farm, spoke to her. He had taken off his hat to wipe the sweat of his forehead as he smiled down at Adora. “Where you from?”

Adora wondered if she should tell the truth. After all, she barely knew these people and it’s not like it was any of their business. But then again, it also didn’t seem like they had malicious intent. “Well… I don’t think we’re ‘from’ anywhere anymore. We’re just a bunch of leather tramps going from place to place,” Adora said.

The man chuckled as he put his hat back on. “I haven’t heard that phrase since I was a young boy. Well, if it led to you two helping us out, hell, I think I’m alright with it,” he replied. “Your friend seems like she’s having the time of her life.”

Adora looked over to see Catra talked amongst the farmhands with a wide smile on her face as the cows rapidly approached Adora. “You think she might stay for some more permanent work?” The man asked Adora, to which she shook her head.

“I don’t think that’s her style,” Adora replied as she widened her stance. She soon made eye contact with a few cows, and just like that, the herd almost moved on its own to the right, and towards the large, open gate. Without even taking a step, Adora was intimidating enough to move a few cows.

It was a good confidence booster.

“Not her style, huh?” The man asked Adora as the gates were closed behind the herd of cows. Adora looked to see Catra panting, taking off her hat and wiping her sweat away with her forearm. She chuckled slightly as she looked over to Adora.

“She’d never work at a place like this for more than a few weeks,” Adora responded, walking over to Catra and leaving the man behind. She could hear Catra’s heavy pants as she approached her. “You feeling okay?”

“Fucking exhausted… But fucking fantastic,” Catra laughed in response. The cows went to eating the grass and hay in their paddock after the gates were closed, and Catra received a cold water bottle from one of the other farmhands.

Adora watched as Catra chugged the water bottle, the liquid running down her chin as she practically downed half the bottle in a few gulps. She let out a loud pant as she took the bottle away from her lips, feeling a little more refreshed after having jogged uphill for the last half hour.

Adora saw one of the cows approach the fence of the paddock as it ate at the nearby grass, and she tapped her elbow against Catra’s upper arm. “You ever wanted to pet a cow?” Adora asked, nodding to the nearby animal.

Catra looked at the cow and grinned, immediately walking over without a response. Adora followed behind as Catra squatted down before the animal, reaching through the holes in the fence and gently placing her hand on the cow’s head.

To her surprise, the cow did not run away or jump, but it instead simply ignored her, continuing to eat as Catra petted her. “That’s so cool…” Catra gasped as she ran her hands along the cow’s rough coat, feeling a weird sensation almost like Velcro.

“Y’know, sometimes we name these cows when we’re particularly fond of them,” one of the farmhands spoke as they approached Adora and Catra. “Seems like this one’s a calm one. Think you got a name for it?”

Adora looked to Catra as she petted the cow, closing her eyes and pondering for a few seconds. After a while, she opened her eyes and looked up to the farmhand. “I say we call it… CatrAdora,” Catra suggested.

Adora scoffed. “Are you serious?”

“Dead serious,” Catra smirked. “I want to leave some sort of mark on this world, so… Why not name a cow after me and the person I care about most in my life?” Catra shrugged. She looked up to the farmhand. “Tell the boss this one’s gonna be named after the two best workers he had.”

“You got it,” the farmhand chuckled. They soon crossed their arms. “I was actually here to talk about something else. You two girls feel alright coming to the bar tonight? It’s a Friday after all, and we usually have a thing of getting a bit rowdy after a few beers in town.”

“Uh…” Adora looked to Catra. “What do you think?” She asked, unsure of how to feel about such an offer. Catra looked to CatrAdora for a few seconds, taking her hand away as she stood back up.

“As long as we stick together, I think it’ll be fun,” Catra replied to her travel partner. Adora nodded, inclined with agree with Catra’s reasoning. And so, the two of them turned to the farmhand. “Sounds great. You can count us in.”

* * *

Even after all this, Adora was always impressed by Catra’s skills with a guitar.

Adora sat alone at a circular table as Catra sat with a small band on stage, staring at the sheet music ahead of her as she played alongside a multitude of other instruments in a fast-paced song. Catra had the eyes of intense focus, and Adora found them oddly cute.

She had lost track of time at this point, but she knew it was at least nearing midnight. Adora had not drunken anything herself, but it was fun to be around so many lively people. Going out and celebrating the end of a work week on a Friday night was something Adora always wanted to do, but at the same time, it felt weird.

Adora had become used to the noise at this point, with all the cheering, conversations and music going on. She mostly kept to herself in the corner, watching the sweat run down Catra’s forehead as she finished the song with a few quick notes.

Catra looked to her bandmates and laughed a bit, before placing the acoustic guitar down in its case and standing up, finally done after around twenty-five minutes. Adora couldn’t help but feel a little relieved at having her travel partner back to keep her company.

“How was that?” Adora asked.

“Fun as fuck,” Catra chuckled as she sat at the table with Adora. “It was hard to keep up though. They go a lightning pace with some of those songs. Reading sheet and playing it at the same time is a lot tougher than it looks.”

“You looked like a natural,” Adora smiled as Catra panted, pushing through the exhaustion. “Did you pick up our pay?”

“Yeah, I got it earlier. We can be out of here by tomorrow,” Catra replied. “There’s a town a few miles north of here that’s a lot bigger than this place. If we walk along the highway for a bit, we should come across it. Hopefully the map is up to date.”

“And it’s a straight shot through Canada, right?” Adora asked.

“Pretty much. Alaska is waiting for us,” Catra grinned as she placed her straw hat on the table. She looked around the bar at the multitude of people and smiled. “This is nice. Just… being around people with so much energy.”

“I guess we both got tired of Vegas, huh?” Adora replied. “Everyone there was either drunk, hungover or tired.”

“Except for Perfuma and Scorpia,” Catra mentioned. “We’ve got to send them pics too, once we’re done with all this.”

As Adora and Catra spoke, they suddenly heard a loud, screeching whistle echo across the entire bar. Adora flinched at the piercing noise, and turned to see the head of the farm standing up on his chair, drink in his hand.

“Sorry to interrupt!” The man spoke. “Just got word that we got another noise complaint!” He said, and across the bar, groans of annoyance echoed out. Adora couldn’t help but chuckle. “Now, now, folks, that don’t mean you’re getting kicked out! Just means a couple of officers might come along and tell us to shut up. You don’t got to worry…”

“Wait, what?” Catra suddenly spoke up. Almost instantly, every single pair of eyes in that bar locked in Catra’s direction. “Like… the police are coming?”

“Yeah, but it don’t matter! Besides, they might send officer Paul over, and I reckon he’s your type if you’re looking for a man to swing with tonight!” The man spoke, and immediately, he received hollering and cheers from across the bar. Adora looked to Catra, and saw her hands shake slightly as her whole posture tensed up.

“Catra?” Adora whispered, leaning close to her partner as she shook with rage.

“We’ve got to get the fuck out of here,” Catra suddenly whispered. “Where are our packs?”

“Under the table,” Adora replied, grabbing her own. Catra leaned down, but the head of the farm noticed her grabbing her gear.

“Hey, hold on, where do you think you’re going?” The man laughed. “Look, there’s nothing to stress about! You treat the cops fine, and I reckon they’ll treat you alright,” he spoke, dragging out the ‘alright’ in a suggestive tone.

Catra immediately stood up, but before she could leave, the doors of the bar slowly swung open to reveal two men in police uniforms enter. Catra’s eyes widened, and she quickly sat back down, shrinking to avoid attention as the cops entered.

Adora felt her heart start to race as she saw Catra’s intense reaction of both rage and fear. The head of the farm nodded to one of the cops as he entered. The two officers kept their hands at their hip as they looked around.

“I reckon y’all know why we’re here,” one of the cops spoke. Catra was frantically looking for a way out, but it seemed the only feasible exits were the front door, and the fire escape in the back. “We ain’t here to arrest anyone. Just gots to keep it down, the lot of you.”

There were a few words of agreement from the people in the bar, and Catra hoped that would be it. She hoped, with those words, the two cops would leave.

But it was never that simple.

One of the cops spotted Adora and Catra in the corner. He slowly wandered over to the two of them, his steps big and his posture bigger. “I never seen you two ‘round here before,” the officer spoke, his partner lagging behind him.

“We were just leaving,” Adora replied, going to stand up. But soon enough, the cop raised a hand.

“Not so fast,” he replied. His eyes looked over to Catra. Adora’s travel partner was simply looking at the table before her, not even daring to look up. “You look a little too young to be here, y’know. You got a license with you?”

Catra’s body shook slightly, and she let out a shuddered breath. “I’m not drinking anything, am I?” Catra asked.

“That wasn’t the question. Have you got your license with you?” The cop asked. Adora’s heart slowly began to turn ice cold as the cop put a hand on the table, leaning down towards Catra. “I asked you a question, ma’am.”

“And I gave you a response. If you’re trying to pin me for underage drinking, I haven’t had a drop of alcohol all night,” Catra replied with venom in her voice. “You came here for a noise complaint. You got what you wanted. Now leave me alone.”

“Ma’am, I’m going to need your license now, or you’ll be detained,” the cop said. Catra’s eyes widened, and she suddenly looked up at the officer.

“What?” Catra shook her head. “What the fuck have I done wrong?”

“I asked you for your license, and so far, you’ve refused to show me anything. That, and you’re carrying a rather large pack with you. What’ve you got in there?” The cop asked, nodding to the large pack in Catra’s hand.

Adora noticed that neither cop had even turned to look at her.

“Clothes and food!” Catra responded. “What, do you think I’m carrying something dangerous?! I helped these people out on their farm today!”

“That don’t matter right now. For all I know, you could be carrying a weapon, or you could be some sort of gangster,” the cop said. Catra could barely find the words to respond to any of that, but before she could have a chance to back herself up, Adora suddenly shouted.

“Why are you going for your gun?!” Adora cried, pointing to the other cop, his hand rested on his holstered pistol.

“That doesn’t concern you!” The cop said, putting a hand up to keep Adora back.

“Yes, it fucking concerns me! You’re going to shoot my friend for no reason!” Adora screamed. As both cops suddenly turned to face Adora, Catra quickly took the opportunity to leap out of her chair and make a dash for the fire exit.

“RUN!” Catra screamed to Adora as she bolted through the fire exit. Both cops turned to Catra and pulled out their pistols, sending chills down Adora’s spine. But as both cops were distracted, Adora took the opportunity to do the same, making a dash in the opposite direction towards the front door.

“Both of you! Stop!” The cop screamed as Adora sprinted as fast as she could out of the bar and towards some nearby corn fields. Adora spotted another figure approach the corn fields, and saw that it was Catra.

And then, a gunshot.

And then, Catra let out a yelp.

“CATRA!” Adora screamed, not being able to see through the maze of crops. Her heart was pounding faster than it ever has, and she ran towards the direction where Catra’s yelp came from.

“I’m fine! It just scared the shit out of me! Keep running!” Catra screamed, and finally, Adora was able to see Catra through the large amount of crops. They ran away from the bar, making sure to keep close as their legs pumped as fast as they could.

Adora felt crop after crop brush pass her skin, but she kept running for as long as she could before her legs felt like dead weight. Soon enough, Catra slowed down once she was sure they had gotten far enough.

Catra bent down, putting her hands on her knees as she panted. “They tried to kill me… They fucking tried to kill me…” Catra panted, shaking her head.

“They just targeted you… Fuck…” Adora put her hands on the back of her head, trying to fight off her stitch as Catra fell back, sitting on the dirt ground as she stared up at the starlit sky.

“We’re never coming back here again,” Catra said.

“Deal,” Adora replied, going to sit next to Catra. She struggled to find any words to express the sheer horror she felt about the whole situation. Whatever she could say to express how fucked up everything was, she had a feeling Catra already knew.

“I just…” Catra brought her knees up to her chest, sighing. “I can’t fucking believe it… They were going to kill me. I… Dammit…”

“Is there… Anything I can do to help?” Adora asked, feeling almost useless in this situation. Catra looked at the ground before her.

“Can I lean my head on your shoulder for a bit?” Catra asked, and Adora nodded. Slowly, Adora felt a weight at her side as Catra’s hair brushed up against her neck. There was little she could say, but there was a lot that she was feeling.

Adora felt Catra’s hand placed atop her own. It didn’t take long for Adora to interlock her fingers with Catra’s, holding her hand tightly. She was bad with words, but Adora tried to comfort Catra in whatever physical way she could.

Among everything else, Catra also felt guilt at having Adora get mixed up in all of this. But even after all this, Catra had Adora’s company. Even after all this, she was still here.

She wondered if Adora would still be around by the end of it all.


	11. Tennessee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra finally reveals her reason for going on this journey. A horrible, gut-wrenching revelation comes along with it.

The highway stretched for miles, and Adora didn’t even know which state they were in anymore.

She held onto her heavy pack, putting one foot in front of the other continuously. She had to keep moving forward, no matter what happened. As long as she had Catra, there was nothing stopping this journey.

She looked over her shoulder to see her travel partner. Catra’s eyes were cast down at the orange dirt path before her. She hadn’t spoken in a while. Only a few words had been exchanged between them in the last few days after the incident at the bar.

They had been wary of walking next to highways, but now, it was the only path they had. They had seen a grand total of six cars fly by in the last twelve hours, and Adora was starting to wonder if the highway had any end. The heat was slowly getting to her.

Adora wondered how far across the state that word gets out. How much of South Dakota, or even the United States, will know that she and Catra are runaways? That they were about to be detained? That they were about to kill Catra?

Going home always seemed so simple after all this. But now, Adora had no idea what they’d do. Would the police in Atlanta know about what they did? Will they treat Catra the same? Adora had been thinking if she should even go home.

She knew she had a promise to keep to her friends. To herself. But she also knew that Catra was afraid. She could tell by her face, and her eyes. This wasn’t so simple anymore. They were runaways. They were likely being hunted.

For now, Adora had to keep moving forward.

She had to finish this journey with the person she had been with for the last seven months.

Adora kept walking, but she soon heard only her own footsteps. She stopped, and turned to see Catra standing still, her eyes almost blank as she looked at the ground. “Hey. You okay?” Adora asked Catra, who almost looked like she was in a trance.

Catra’s ears were ringing, and her whole body felt weightless. Endless tingles were going throughout her arms, her spine, her legs. Nothing made sense, and everything felt frazzled. She felt the wind blow pass her skin, and she soon realized she was falling forward.

“Catra!” Adora suddenly leapt forward, catching Catra by the shoulders before she could fall down. Catra’s eyes suddenly widened as she felt Adora’s hands on her shoulders, and she looked up into Adora’s eyes. She saw the concern in them.

Catra looked up at her travel partner, and her heart spoke before her brain could render anything.

“You’re…” Catra croaked out. “… Beautiful…”

Adora’s eyebrows narrowed, and she slowly laid Catra down on her back, removing her pack. Adora noticed Catra’s lips were incredibly dry, and she immediately unzipped Catra’s pack, reaching in and pulling out her water supply.

It was empty.

“What the…” Adora looked to Catra. “Why didn’t you tell me you had no water? I’ve got plenty to spare,” Adora said, taking off her own pack and unzipping it, pulling out her own water bottle. She gently ran a hand over Catra’s cheek, bringing the tip of the bottle to Catra’s lips.

Slowly, Catra felt the cold liquid run down her throat, cleansing it of the dryness that had been building up the last few days.

“Come on, we’re going to take a break here. You’re dehydrated,” Adora said as Catra coughed slightly, having her first drink in days. Adora looked down to her partner, and let out a sigh. “Catra… You told me you were fine. Why didn’t you let me know you had no water? You’ll die without it.”

Catra, through her weakness, chuckled. “Exactly…”

Adora had no idea why her partner was saying these things. She reached down, placing her hand atop Catra’s and stroking her palm with her thumb. “I can’t lose you. I’d be terrified if I didn’t have you. Please… Don’t scare me like that. You mean a lot to me.”

Catra looked up to the cloudless sky, and gazed upon the blaring hot sun. Her face was downcast into a frown. “Why…?” Catra asked.

“What?” Adora shook her head.

“Why do you care…? I nearly got you killed again… I’ve gotten you into so much shit… I…” Catra coughed before she could go on. Adora looked down to her partner, sighing as she ran her knuckles against Catra’s dry cheek.

“Do you really feel responsible for what happened at that bar?” Adora asked. Catra couldn’t bring herself to respond. “You did nothing wrong. There was no reason for them to harass you like that. I blame them. Not you.”

Catra stared up at the sky in silence as she felt Adora’s gentle hand against her cheek. Slowly, she brought her own hand up, placing it on Adora’s. She titled her head, and gently, placed a kiss on Adora’s palm. “I don’t want to lose you…” Catra whispered, leaning her forehead against Adora’s hand.

“You won’t. I promise,” Adora responded. “You mean so much to me, Catra. I’m not going to let you go. And I don’t blame you for any of the hard parts of this journey. I could’ve never come this far without you. I…” Adora’s words caught in her throat, and she looked down at the ground.

And before she could get them out, she suddenly heard the familiar sound of a vehicle in the distance.

“Cops…?” Catra croaked, her hand shaking slightly as she heard the tires dragging against the road. She could barely move her head to look at the highway, so Adora had to look for her.

“No…” Adora shook her head. “It’s just a van.”

Slowly, Adora raised an arm and put up her thumb, trying to signal for a ride. Especially now, they needed to get somewhere cool. Having Catra in this heat any longer might do her even more harm. Adora had never prayed a day in her life, but now, she held onto some hope that this van would be merciful.

And her wish came true.

Slowly, the blue van rolled to a complete stop as the window on the passenger side rolled open. A woman with brown eyes and wavy, long teal hair sat in the driver’s seat. “Is she alright?” The woman asked, pointing to Catra.

“She’s dehydrated,” Adora responded. “Please, if you can at least get us to the nearest town…”

The woman looked to Adora for a few seconds, before cocking her head to the side. “Where are you two headed anyway?” She asked.

“Uh…” Adora looked down to her partner, who gave her a small nod. “Alaska,” Adora spoke, looking into Catra’s eyes. After a few seconds, she looked back up to the driver. “We’re headed to Alaska.”

The woman looked at the road ahead of her and let out a long sigh through her nose, pondering for a few moments. She gripped the steering wheel tightly as she decided the travellers’ fates. “Please…” Adora pleaded, her voice choking up a bit. “She can’t stay out here like this. Even if you take just her, that’d be fine. You can leave me behind. I just…”

“Adora, stop…” Catra put her hand on Adora’s cheek, looking desperately up at her partner. “Don’t say that…”

“Hey, uh, you two can quit being dramatic and all,” the driver said with a smirk. “Look. I’ve got a shit-ton of room in the back of the van, and I’m on a direct route to Alaska anyway. Looks like your luck hasn’t run out just yet.”

Adora’s eyes widened. “I…” She smiled down at Catra, before looking back up at the driver. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! I… Thank you!”

“Okay, don’t make a big deal out of it or whatever,” the driver responded. “Name’s Mermista. You should hop in before she, like, dies or something,” Mermista said with in a dry tone.

Adora nodded, slowly wrapping her arm under Catra’s back, another arm going underneath Catra’s legs as Adora picked her up. Catra felt Adora’s strength, and her eyes widened upon realizing that Adora was carrying her bridal style.

Slowly, Adora opened the back of the van to reveal a few cardboard boxes, but mostly empty room. Thankfully, one of those boxes contained plenty of water bottles as well, and the van had been thoroughly cooled by the A/C.

“You can use that water. There’s plenty to spare,” Mermista said, looking in the rear-view mirror at the pair. Slowly, Adora laid Catra down, sitting her up against the side of the van.

“Thank you so much. We’re seriously in your debt,” Adora replied as she grabbed one of the many water bottles. As Mermista put the van back into gear and accelerated down the highway, Adora gave her partner another water bottle.

Catra took the water and drank almost three quarters of its contents in less than fifteen seconds. Adora sat down next to her partner, bringing her knees up to her chest as she watched Catra finally hydrate herself. “You going to be okay?” Adora asked.

“Yeah…” Catra replied, her voice less hoarse. “I’m… I’m sorry. That was so stupid of me.”

“Why did you do it? I could’ve given you my water at any time,” Adora said, leaning towards her partner. Catra stared down at her feet, and she let out a sigh.

“Guilt.”

“Huh?”

“Adora…” Catra looked to her partner, her eyes filled with sadness. “You’ve nearly drowned to death. You’ve been shot at. All because I dragged you on this stupid trip.”

“You didn’t drag me anywhere. I asked to come, remember?” Adora said.

“Well, then we never should’ve gone,” Catra moped. Adora’s eyes widened as she gasped slightly.

“Are… Are you saying you regret all this?” Adora asked.

“No! I mean… I just…” Catra ran a hand through her rough hair. “Fuck, Adora! I made a promise to keep you safe and you’ve nearly died twice now!”

“It hasn’t just been my life in danger all the time! Are you forgetting that you were also getting shot at?!” Adora said with a desperate voice.

“My life doesn’t matter!” Catra cried.

“Yes, it does! You were the victim in that situation, not me!” Adora replied in a louder tone than she intended. She heard her voice echo across the van, and she looked to see Mermista staring at them through the rear-view mirror. She kept her thoughts to herself as Adora sighed. “I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have yelled.”

“… It’s fine,” Catra replied, taking another drink of water. “… I’ve just… I’ve felt so shit these last few days. Thinking about all the trouble I’ve dragged you into. And despite all of it, I haven’t even told you a little bit about myself. About where I come from.”

“That doesn’t mean you should intentionally dehydrate yourself,” Adora pleaded, but Catra didn’t give a response. Adora sighed and kept silent for a while, but slowly, she placed her hand over Catra’s. “You know… If I was given another chance… To go on this journey with you… Even with all the danger and everything we’ve gotten ourselves into…”

Adora took a breath. “I’d do it all over again in a fucking heartbeat.”

Catra looked over to her partner. “Why…?” She asked.

Adora looked into Catra’s eyes. “Because then I’d get to spend all those days with you once more.”

Catra gazed into her partner’s eyes, and soon felt her eyes glance down at Adora’s lips. More than ever, in this moment, she wanted to take Adora’s lips with her own. But she held herself back, and she instead looked down at her own feet.

Catra stayed silent for a few moments as the van rocked around slightly, until eventually, she leaned her head over and nuzzled it into Adora’s shoulder. Adora brought an arm up, holding her partner close as Catra let out a sigh. “Tennessee,” Catra suddenly spoke.

“Huh?” Adora raised an eyebrow.

“I was born and raised in… Tennessee. The state directly above Georgia,” Catra said. “My mother’s name was Shadow Weaver. And she’s the reason I ran away from it all.”

* * *

Catra looked at the lines of D’s and F’s on her report card, and yet she didn’t feel a thing.

The end of another semester, and all she was looking forward to was sleeping in the next morning. She walked along the gravel path, looking at the orange sunset as she approached the house she’s lived in all of her seventeen years of life.

She was thankful to see her mother’s car was nowhere to be found in the garage. Even if it meant a few minutes of peace, it made all the difference. She took her key from her bag, entering the rather small house.

As she placed her school bag by the front door, she let out a sigh, wondering what to do with the report card. Obviously Shadow Weaver wasn’t going to be happy. That was an understatement. Instead, Catra simply scrunched it all up and tossed it in the bin.

She didn’t care about her results. She didn’t care about much of anything.

She climbed up the stairs to her bedroom, littered with trash and cases for video games and movies. She flopped back on her bed, pulling her phone out of her pocket and going through her social media feed.

Much like most days, there weren’t any notifications for her. She was almost invisible at school. And in life.

A few posts were from her classmates, happy at completing another school year, getting ready for parties and the like. Seeing posts about parties reminded Catra of one she went to last week. And someone she had met there.

Catra opened her messages, and clicked on her text messages with a girl named Lonnie. The latest message was from last night. ‘Last day of school. You happy to be out of that shithole for a few months?’, Catra had written to her. And yet Lonnie had simply left her on read, just like she had with the last five texts Catra sent.

Lonnie was in Catra’s class, and yet they never talked much until they ran into each other at a party the previous week. Catra sighed, frustrated at the lack of response from Lonnie. In a moment of anger, Catra typed out a message.

‘You can tell me if you don’t want to talk. I thought we could have something more than a one-night stand but I guess I’m not worth jackshit to you or anyone.’

Catra’s thumb hovered over the send button, but eventually, she shook her head, deleting the message. Maybe it was her own fault. Maybe she expected too much from someone she slept with and then promptly left first thing in the morning.

Catra had always sought connection, but at the same time, she was afraid of it. She was afraid of fucking things up and ruining everything. She always found it easier to leave at the first opportunity. And yet she still wanted that connection. She knew it was contradictory and hypocritical.

Catra hated the way her mind worked.

Soon enough, Catra heard the front door open. She knew who had come home. She put her phone on charge, and waited in silence. She hoped that maybe, just maybe, she could have a few more moments of peace.

“Catra! I know you’re up there! Get down here!”

Catra cursed as she heard Shadow Weaver’s grating voice.

She knew this talk was coming sooner or later, so she stood up, going out of her room and down the stairs to find her mother. People always told Catra she should be thankful to Shadow Weaver for adopting her when no one else would. And Catra always wondered if she should agree with those people.

“Where is your report card?” Shadow Weaver asked.

“I don’t know. They didn’t give me one,” Catra shrugged. “Why does it matter? You know I failed everything anyway.”

“Are you sure you didn’t receive one?” Shadow Weaver asked, narrowing her eyes. The way she did it always sent chills down Catra’s spine, but she simply crossed her arms, avoiding her mother’s eye contact.

“I don’t know what to say. They just didn’t give me one…”

“You know I don’t appreciate you lying, Catra,” Shadow Weaver said, placing the crumbled-up report card on the bench. Catra immediately felt a shockwave of fear throughout her body as she looked at the card.

“… You’re just going to be disappointed anyway. Like you always are,” Catra sighed, looking down at the ground.

“You’re right. I am,” Shadow Weaver responded. “But perhaps I’d be a little less disappointed if you spent your time studying… instead of sleeping around.”

Catra’s eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat. “How did you…?”

“It doesn’t matter how I know,” Shadow Weaver hissed. “You told me you were participating in a study group last Friday, and I gave you the benefit of the doubt. But not only did you attend a party I specifically ordered you to avoid, you also went ahead and spent the night in bed with another woman.”

“Did you go through my phone?!” Catra accused her mother. “That’s my privacy! You can’t read my texts!”

“I am your mother, and I’m allowed to know as much of your life as I please,” Shadow Weaver suddenly stood up. “I only do it out of concern for you.”

“Concern? Concern?! You call going through my phone fucking concern?!” Catra shouted.

“I don’t want my daughter sleeping around like some… harlot!” Shadow Weaver yelled back, and Catra could only laugh, shaking her head.

“So now you’re slut-shaming me! Fucking fantastic! I feel so much concern from you!” Catra said with a sarcastic grin. “What’s next? You’re going to out my sexuality to my entire fucking class out of ‘concern’? You fucking snake!”

“I do not care who you love, I care that you’re wasting away your life when you have so much potential!” Shadow Weaver shouted. “Catra, if you would just listen to me and understand my viewpoint…”

“I understand plenty,” Catra spoke with venom in her voice. “I understand that your version of perfection is a straight A, good little girl who never raises her voice and does everything you say. I understand that you can happily go through my texts and judge every single life choice of mine, but the second I try to question your parenting, I’m suddenly the bad daughter! I understand that you will never fucking love me for who I am! I understand that you spit in the face of what it means to be a parent!”

Shadow Weaver could only stare at Catra as she panted. Catra felt tears welling in her eyes. “… I am simply trying to support you in becoming the best version of yourself,” Shadow Weaver explained.

“You mean the best version that you want me to be,” Catra responded with sadness. “You don’t give a shit what I want. You never have. You never will.”

And with that, Catra left her mother behind and stormed back upstairs. She simply wanted to hide the tears from her mother, just like she always has.

Just like she always will.

* * *

“My mother… She wanted to control me. People always told me I was ungrateful to her. She raised me. She gave me a home. That’s what they always say. And it’s not like they’re wrong… They just…” Catra sighed, cuddling closer to Adora. “They don’t understand.”

“You wanted to be yourself, and your mother wanted you to be a different person. She berated you and invaded your privacy,” Adora said. “I understand why you were so angry with that household, Catra.”

“… Thank you,” Catra sighed. “After that school year, that’s when I started skipping… And that’s when I realized that the life others wanted for me… It wasn’t the life I wanted for myself,” Catra said.

Adora held Catra closer as she spoke. She knew this was raw to Catra. What she described was one of many incidents with her mother.

“When I met you… I had been away from home for about five months. I lived by myself in that apartment. I was alone… And I thought I was happy,” Catra said. “And I think I was. For a while. But I was really just happy to be away from that house… I… I still needed that connection. That bond with someone else.”

As Catra spoke, Adora noticed a bright light in the front window of the van. She looked up to see that Mermista was driving through a town, and going pass buildings, malls and streetlamps. They reflected onto Adora’s eyes.

“… When I met you, I was afraid,” Catra admitted. Adora turned back to her. “I was afraid that I was going to fuck everything up like usual. I’m still afraid that you hate me for everything I’ve put you through. I’m… I’m not good at long-term connections. And yet I still want them.”

Adora had never seen Catra this vulnerable before. The cracks in her voice combined with how much she shrunk down. Her shoulders were hunched and her jaw was clenched. Adora slowly reached out and brushed her fingers along Catra’s hair, putting a strand behind her ear.

“People are… complex. I get where you’re coming from,” Adora whispered. “But meeting you has been the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I want to be around you for the rest of my life, Catra. You’ve helped me in so many ways. You’ve… helped me finally discover who I am.”

“… I have?” Catra asked in a quiet voice.

“Yeah,” Adora smiled. “I’ve been meaning to tell you for a while now. I’m… I’m a lesbian, too. You’ve… helped me realize that now.”

Catra looked up at her partner as she smiled. “Adora… I’m so proud of you,” Catra replied.

“And I’m proud of you, too,” Adora responded. “Hey, maybe we can go to a Pride Parade when we get back?”

“Yeah…” Catra said with a faint whisper. She smiled as she spoke, imagining the possibilities. After this trip was over, there was so much she and Adora could do. So much for them to discover about life and the future.

As Catra thought about this, she suddenly felt a tear stream down her cheek.

“Hey… Catra? Are… Are you okay?” Adora asked as Catra soon felt an endless amount of tears begin to stream down her smiling face. She covered her mouth with her arm, and soon enough, Adora heard Catra break into bitter sobs. “Hey… Hey…” Adora whispered, wrapping her arms around Catra’s shoulders and rocking her gently.

“I’m sorry…” Catra choked out.

“What for? You’ve done nothing wrong…” Adora whispered, but Catra shook her head.

“There’s… Something else I need to tell you…” Catra sniffled. “The reason I’ve been so hesitant to go back home…”

“What is it…?” Adora asked, stroking a hand through Catra’s hair.

“… Shadow Weaver found me.”

“… What?”

Catra looked to Adora with tear-filled eyes. “The apartment in Atlanta was rented under my name. And she was able to track my phone until I figured out she was watching me. That’s why I made us destroy our phones in Texas. She’s smart. I’m sure she knows that I’m responsible for your disappearance. She knew about my journey, and I’m sure she’s figured out exactly what’s going on,” Catra explained.

“… No…” Adora whispered.

“I’m so sorry, Adora… I’m… I’m so sorry…” Catra sniffled, but Adora simply held her closer. “I know she’s waiting silently for me in Atlanta… I know that once I get back, she’ll… She’ll take me away… Back to Tennessee…”

“Stop…” Adora whimpered, holding Catra tighter.

“I’m so fucking sorry…” Catra held Adora back. “… I swear I’ll cherish these days we’ve had.”

“Don’t say another fucking word…” Adora suddenly sobbed. “I won’t let her take you. I won’t lose you. I can’t lose you.”

“I wish it was that simple, Adora…” Catra replied. “But I made a promise to bring you back. So when we get home… We’ll say our goodbyes and… This will all be the best memories of our lives…”

Adora couldn’t even respond anymore. She simply hugged her partner and let the tears flow. Catra felt her soul being hurt every time Adora let out a sob. She knew that this had been coming since Texas. But she never wanted to hurt Adora like this.

The truth was always painful. But now, this journey had a new goal for the two of them.

To create the best memories they could, before it all crumbled away.


	12. Alaska

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora and Catra arrive at the final destination, and gear up to take on the last part of their journey. Catra reveals another truth.

“You two might want to wake up soon. We’re here.”

Catra’s eyes flickered open as Mermista’s voice invaded her dreams and woke her from a deep sleep. She saw little light in the van as the morning sun just barely pierced through the heavy clouds in the sky.

Catra felt a weight on her side, and looked to see Adora’s sleeping body leaning on her. Her hand was with Adora’s, their fingers interlocked tightly. Catra didn’t even remember falling asleep.

Slowly, Catra moved away from Adora, gently laying her on the ground as to not awaken her. She knew Adora would need the sleep. They had been in this van for the last three days, but the misery they felt after Catra shared her revelation still burrowed deep within them.

They had slowly come to the realization that they just needed to make these memories while they could. Adora even suggested that they try to see each other again after their journey was done. Maybe it was an idealistic dream, but it was nice to think about.

The future was still uncertain.

Catra moved up to the front seat. “What is it?” She asked the driver, looking out the front window. Mermista pointed to a sign on the side of the road.

‘Welcome to Alaska and the Gateway to the Klondike.’

Catra had always dreamed of this sign. For nearly four years now, she had dreamed of passing this sign and going into the final destination of this journey. Where everything had been building towards. She always dreamed of celebrating with many some sort of wine, or finding a nice place to stay.

But when she saw this sign, there was only one thing that came to mind.

“Hey, Adora! Come look at this!”

Catra placed a hand on her partner’s shoulder, gently shaking it. Slowly, Adora came back to life as her eyes blinked open. Her vision clearing up to see Catra smiling down at her. “Hey… You okay?” Adora asked.

“Yeah,” Catra replied in a soft whisper. “I want to show you something.”

Slowly, Adora got to her feet, stretching her arms above her head as she approached the front window. She looked to see that same sign, and Catra watched as Adora’s eyes widened slightly. They could only look at their final destination, after everything they’ve been through.

“Four years,” Catra said. “It’s taken me… four years to get here. And more than anything…” Catra took a breath. “I’m thankful I got here with the person I care about most in my life.”

Adora looked to Catra, and her shocked expression slowly turned into a warm smile. “Oh, and Mermista too. I’m thankful for our driver,” Catra smirked, placing a hand on Mermista’s shoulder. She let out a scoff, but couldn’t help but smile.

“Just don’t go dying out here. Alaskan nature isn’t exactly a safe place, as pretty as it is,” Mermista replied. She put the van back into gear and got on the move again. “I’m going to drop you guys at the nearest town a few minutes away, alright?”

“That’s fine,” Catra responded as Adora got their packs ready. “Say, Mermista… Why are you here, anyway? I mean, this is a pretty long trip to take by a van.”

Mermista looked to Catra for a few seconds, before turning back to the road. “I wanted to come here by a plane, but could barely afford it. I’m a professional swimmer. At least, that’s what everyone calls me. And freezing my ass off in these waters during my training might be the next step towards becoming more known. My trainer’s going to meet me at a town a few miles off.”

“That’s impressive,” Catra replied. “You trying to go for the Olympics or something?”

“I guess. I mean, I like doing it. But I’m not trying to become the greatest of all time or whatever,” Mermista said. “It’d just be nice to leave your mark on the world, you know?”

“I get that,” Catra nodded. “Doing something more with your life than just the generic bullshit people expect of you… I respect that. Don’t forget to mention me in your interviews when you get big, alright?”

“Sure,” Mermista responded with a sarcastic smirk. Catra moved towards the back of the van, where Adora was sorting out their packs.

“So…” Adora spoke as she checked the inside of her pack. “Remind me of your plan again, mastermind. What are we doing in Alaska?”

Catra couldn’t help but scoff at Adora’s nickname as she sat down. “We’re probably going to get a ride by public transport to somewhere called the Stampede Trail, which is almost in the middle of Alaska. From there, it’s a hike towards a certain place where Chris stayed for over a hundred days.”

“Oh, wow,” Adora’s eyes widened. “Are… we staying there for a hundred days?”

“Probably not,” Catra shook her head. “The Stampede Trail is a harsh place, and the weather is unpredictable. We’re going to be staying a while, yes, but not to the point of seriously endangering ourselves. When we decide to leave, we leave. And there’s a lot of ways to get out safely.”

“That sounds good to me,” Adora smiled as she zipped up her pack. “This is it, huh? All of your planning and this trip… All been leading up to this.”

Catra tilted her head from side to side. “Mmm… Sort of, I suppose.”

“Why do you say that?” Adora asked.

“Well, you are right. Alaska has always been the final destination, and the place I’ve been looking forward to most,” Catra explained as Adora sat down next to her. “But it’s not like this is going to be the most significant aspect to me. This whole journey has been special. This is just the culmination of it all.”

“I see what you’re saying,” Adora responded. “I think I feel the same way. My heart’s racing now that we’re here, but… Any day I’ve spent with you has been a good day. The location has just always been a background factor. Being with you… I think that’s what made this journey for me. It’ll be the thing I’ll always remember…”

But as Adora spoke, her smile slowly faded. Catra could see why. After it’s all said and done, all they will be left with is memories. They might not even have each other once they get back home. No matter how many times they thought about it, it never got any less miserable.

The separation haunted them.

“… Hey, Adora?” Catra spoke up. Adora looked into her eyes, trying to hide her sadness. “… I know things hurt right now. With what’s waiting for us at home… But… If it’s okay… I just want to live in the now. For however long we’re here. I just want it to be us in this world. I don’t want all of this to be overshadowed by what’s going to come next. So… if it’s possible… Can we just simply be? Right here, right now? Without having to think about… the future and all that?”

Adora looked down at her partner as she spoke. She could see in Catra’s eyes the sadness of what was to come. Adora wasn’t sure how to respond for a few moments, and Catra let out a sigh. “… I know it sounds dumb,” Catra said. “I know we should accept what’s to come and not hide from it. But… I’ve been miserable for so long, and it was only this year where I found happiness. Both with this journey and with you. I just… I want that happiness for as long as I can get it. Before it all goes away.”

Adora gently placed her hand over Catra’s. She listened to her words, and slowly, she nodded. “We can do that, Catra. I don’t care if it sounds dumb. What’s wrong with just wanting to be happy that little while longer?” Adora said, and Catra looked up to her, a smile slowly crawling onto her face. “You and me. Catra and Adora. We’ll make this last bit as special as the rest. And when the time comes to go home… We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

Catra held Adora’s hand tighter, and let out a relieved sigh as she gently pressed her forehead against Adora’s shoulder. “Thank you…” Catra spoke softly. Adora looked down at her partner, and a wild thought came to mind. She pondered for a few seconds. Her stomach filled with butterflies and her heart raced.

But eventually, Adora slowly leaned down and laid a gentle kiss on the top of Catra’s head.

Catra felt it. She didn’t know how to respond. Her whole body almost felt weightless. Both of them were stuck in the moment, and neither of them spoke. But they felt it.

“And we’re here,” Mermista suddenly spoke up, interrupting the moment. Adora looked up to see the van parked on the side of the road in a relatively average sized town, with wet roads and wooden buildings. “You two going to be alright if I drop you off here?”

“Uh…” Catra looked up. She tried to link this town to one she had seen in a map earlier, and eventually, she nodded. “Yeah. We’ll be just fine here. We seriously can’t thank you enough, Mermista. You saved us so much time.”

“Like I said, just don’t die out there, alright? I don’t want to regret taking you dorks all the way out here,” Mermista responded as Adora opened the back of the van. Catra grabbed her pack, stepping out of the van and following Adora around to the passenger side of the van.

Both of them gave Mermista one last wave, and she simply gave them a nod as she started the van up again, accelerating away and leaving the two of them in the middle of a cold, Alaskan town.

Adora could see her breath form as mist in front of her, and she rubbed her hands together as Catra looked around. “You think we should find some place warm to stay?” Catra asked, noticing Adora’s shivering body. Adora couldn’t help but scoff.

“I think that’s a good idea.”

* * *

Adora rubbed her eyes as she began to realize how late it was. She looked outside the window behind herself to see the dark sky and she slowly raised her arms above her head, letting out a yawn.

Catra and her had been able to find a small cabin to stay in before they commenced their journey. Whilst Catra took stock of their budget and what supplies to bring, Adora borrowed a few books from the library in town to research about the wildlife and flora in Alaska.

Catra had ran a bath for herself in the other room, and Adora made a note to take one herself before they left the next morning. She closed the book before her and went over to her pack, picking out a few clothes for the beginning of the hike the next day.

She packed warm, but efficient. Enough to make sure she didn’t freeze, but not too much to weigh her down. Adora heard Catra step out of the bath in the other room, and she zipped up her bag as Catra emerged into the bedroom, wearing a towel around her body.

“That’s probably the last warm bath I’m going to have in a while,” Catra chuckled as she went over to her own pack. The bedroom had one bed, of course, but Adora and Catra were used to it by now. As Adora undressed herself into some comfortable clothes for bed, Catra did the same behind her. Neither of them looked at each other as they changed.

“… Hey, Catra?” Adora spoke up as she sat on the bed. Catra had just finished changing by the time Adora was in bed, and she turned to look at her partner.

“What’s up?”

“I’ve been wondering about something,” Adora started. Catra sat down on the bed next to her partner as Adora brought her knees up to her chest. “About Chris, specifically.”

“What about him?” Catra asked, raising an eyebrow. Adora let out a sigh, looking at the wooden floor beneath the bed. It was a question that had been on her mind the last few days, but Adora figured now was a good time to ask.

“Well… I’ve been wondering what he’s up to nowadays.”

Catra’s eyes widened.

Adora looked at Catra, who opened her mouth to reply, but no words came out. She pondered about how to tell Adora all this, and yet nothing came. Adora only had to look at Catra’s reaction to get her answer.

“… He’s dead. Isn’t he?”

Catra heard the words, and slowly, she nodded. “Alaska was his grave,” Catra replied. “He was stranded. And his body was found by moose hunters a few days after he died.”

This was the first time Adora had ever heard these words, and yet she had assumed this outcome for the last few weeks. Catra never mentioned Chris in the current day, nor did Adora even think about what he might have done after he finished his journey.

“What happened to him?” Adora asked. Catra could barely look Adora in the eye.

“A… A wild potato seed. He knew what seeds and berries were okay to eat. He had been surviving so long, after all,” Catra explained. “And wild potato is usually safe to eat. But… he missed an almost miniscule amount of mold on the seed. That mold was enough to practically poison him. He couldn’t keep down food or water, and he starved to death. Alone.”

Adora looked at Catra, and more than ever, she could only see sadness in Catra’s eyes. Like she was talking about a close family member. After all, she did have a high level of respect for Chris. But after almost four years of knowing his story, Adora figured Catra wouldn’t be so sad about telling of his demise.

“… I’m sorry I never told you,” Catra suddenly said after a while. “I thought that you’d be too scared if you learned what happened to him. That you’d want to go back. And… going back meant being taken away. So… Fuck, I’m just making up excuses,” she sighed. “I should’ve told you. And I didn’t. I’m sorry.”

“Catra…” Adora spoke gently. “I’m… I’m surprised, to be sure. But… I won’t let that discourage me. It’s awful what happened to him… But we’ve learnt from him, right? And so many others. And we have each other. I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Adora smiled.

It was the genuine truth. She had assumed Chris’ death for a while, but it didn’t strike fear into her. She was sad, but she never let it get her down. Catra looked at Adora’s smile, and she couldn’t help but return with a similar expression. “Ever the optimist…” Catra sighed with a smile.

“You know me,” Adora replied.

“… Do you want to know Chris’ last words?” Catra asked, looking out the window into the dark, Alaskan sky. Adora nodded. “’I have had a happy life and thank the Lord. Goodbye and may God bless all’. He was a man of faith, I think. They found those words by his body, written in one of his books.”

“I guess that’s nice,” Adora replied. “You know… dying without regrets and all that.”

“Yeah…” Catra spoke with a soft voice. Adora looked to her and saw that Catra was almost in a trance, and slowly, she reached out and ran a hand through Catra’s hair.

“You okay?” Adora asked, snapping Catra out of her state. Catra looked to her partner and saw her smile. The smile that always kept her going, and the smile that would save her in Alaska no doubt.

“Yeah. I am. It’s just… hard to talk about all this,” Catra responded. Adora wondered why that was the case. “… Actually, can I ask something?”

“Sure. Anything,” Adora replied.

“You remember when we cuddled for warmth in California?” Catra asked. It was one of Adora’s fondest memories. She nodded. “Well… I know we’re warm now… But… I’d still like to cuddle with you. You don’t have to. It’s just a stupid suggestion…”

“I’d love to,” Adora responded without hesitation. “I can tell there’s a lot on your mind. I’m… in a similar state. But right now, I just… want to be close to you.”

Both of them could almost explode with the feelings that had been building up for a while now. Their chests felt warm and their stomach fluttered. Wordlessly, Catra turned the bedroom light off and laid down in bed, facing Adora.

Adora did the same, pulling the covers over the two of them and taking her hair out of its ponytail, simply letting it sprawl on the pillow below her as she laid and faced Catra in the bed. Catra put a hand up between them, and Adora placed her hand over it.

They held onto each other as they faced each other in the bed. Adora saw Catra’s eyelids slowly lower, and she did the same. But they never let go.

They never wanted to let go.

* * *

Adora and Catra stepped off the bus and into the cold Alaskan air.

All around them was an endless highway, with each side of the highway being surrounded by trees. The leaves on the trees were of a dark green, which contrasted against the gray sky. Adora could see her breath form before her.

As the bus left the two of them behind and barrelled down the endless highway, Catra looked around them. “If we walk a few blocks north, we should be at the start of the trail,” Catra explained. Adora nodded, and adjusted the pack on her shoulder, walking behind her partner. “You nervous?”

“I was going to ask the same thing of you,” Adora replied. “This has been your dream for four years, after all.”

“Not going to lie… I’m just fucking excited,” Catra admitted. “My heart is about to explode, I swear. I’ve gone through this moment a thousand times in my dreams. This doesn’t even feel real. I’ve nearly convinced myself the last eight months have been a dream.”

“Well… If this was a dream, would you want to wake up?” Adora asked. Catra looked to her for a few moments.

“… Probably not.”

Adora couldn’t help but scoff as Catra kept on walking ahead. She looked at the cold road and tall trees, and took in the smell of nature. Her pack no longer felt as heavy as that day when she first left Atlanta.

This was the final test. More than any exam, this was the ultimate test of her growth, Adora figured. This was the test to see how far she’d come from that excited woman in Atlanta.

“And… here we are.”

Adora looked over to see a small separation within the trees besides the road. It led down a long, winding path which became more open as it went on. Adora and Catra looked down the path together, standing still.

“It looks smaller than I thought it would,” Catra commented. “The entrance, I mean. The trail is about forty miles.”

“So… once we go down here, we’re going to reach the place Chris camped?” Adora asked. Catra nodded.

“It might take a few days, but yeah. We’ll stay there for however long it may be. And we’ll turn back once we think we should,” Catra said, turning to her partner. “You know this is your last chance to pull out, right? Once we go down this path… Well, it’s hard to say what will happen.”

Adora took a breath. “Do you want to head back?” She asked.

Catra scoffed, shaking her head. “Fuck no. This has been four years in the making. I’m not turning back now.”

“Then I’m coming with you,” Adora immediately said. “We’re a team. We’re travel partners. We started this together and we’re finishing it together.”

Catra smiled at her partner. She looked at the ground beneath her for a few seconds, and took a breath. “… Thank you for coming all this way, Adora,” Catra spoke, looking up into her partner’s eyes. “Thank you for never giving up on me. Thank you for sticking with me despite all the fuck-ups and despite my stupid moments. You’ll… You’re the most special person to me.”

“And thank you for helping me keep my promise to myself,” Adora replied. “You had every right to leave me behind at any moment, but you always kept me around. I’m… still not sure why. But you’ve made me happier than I think I’ve ever been in my life. You’re special to me too, Catra.”

The two of them looked at each other for a few more moment, and it was Catra who eventually took a deep breath, looking ahead. She grabbed onto the straps of her pack, and let out a deep sigh. “Well… Off we go then.”

“Right,” Adora responded. A few moments of silence. Contemplation. Thinking. And Adora eventually felt her cold body begin to move.

And so, they stepped forward into the wild.


	13. Magic Bus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora and Catra come across Chris' campsite. Catra shares her final confession with Adora.

“Catra? Are you okay?”

The flowing of water. Rushing from one end to the other. An endless stream. Endless terror.

Catra could only watch as white foam formed on the top of that liquid death. It could sweep her away in an instant and she’d never come back from it. After all, she almost lost Adora to it.

“Catra!”

Catra’s eyes suddenly widened, and she looked over to her partner. Adora narrowed her eyebrows and saw the fear in Catra’s eyes. “You going to be alright? Once we get pass this river, we’re almost there,” Adora said.

Catra stood before the rushing river. The last obstacle before they reached Chris’ campsite. Admittedly, the water looked not that deep, and there was a large cable from one piece of land to the other for the two of them to hold onto as they crossed this river.

But hearing the rushing of water triggered memories of that river a few months back. The time where she saw Adora’s unconscious body float towards the surface. She wasn’t breathing. Catra remembered every second.

“Catra…” Adora placed a gentle hand on her partner’s shoulder. “You don’t have to worry. I’m not going to let myself drown again. Come on. We’ve got something to hold onto this time. We’ve been hiking for the last couple of days. We’re nearly there.”

Catra swallowed down he fear and nodded. “Yeah… Just… Stick close to me. Please,” Catra spoke.

“Of course,” Adora smiled.

They walked through the muddy fields, the clouds around them glowing orange from the sunset. The dark green trees only grew more intense in their color as the sun shined brighter at this time in the afternoon. They would have to set up at Chris’ camp quickly before night fell.

Adora approached the cable. It was stern, and holding onto it meant they wouldn’t get swept away in the rushing river. Adora decided to go first, gripping the cable tightly as she took her first step in the rushing water.

It went up to her hip, but her tight grip on the cable kept her balanced as she walked through the rushing water. After a few steps, she looked behind herself to see Catra grabbing onto the cable. Her hands shook and her eyes were wide terror, but she knew that she had to push through this last step.

Slowly, Catra’s foot dipped into the rushing water. Immediately, her foot was almost swept away, and she lost her balance, falling into the rushing water.

Catra let out a scream as she fell into the rushing river, and her hands gripped tightly to the cable. “Catra!” Adora cried out as Catra panted, her body soaked in water as she held on for dear life.

“Just keep going!” Catra replied, taking immediate steps forward in a rush to get out of the river. Adora kept her eye on Catra as she took only a dozen steps before reaching land on the other side of the river.

Adora didn’t even hesitate to turn around once she was on land, reaching out a hand for her partner. Catra looked up to Adora’s offer of help. “I’ll drag you onto the land!” Adora called out to Catra over the sound of the rushing river.

“You promise?!” Catra cried.

“Always!” Adora returned.

Catra only needed that one word. She slowly loosened her grip on the cable, and leapt towards Adora, grabbing her one hand with both of hers. Adora immediately pulled on Catra’s hands, using her strength to fight against the river and Catra’s weight.

And ultimately, Adora succeeded, pulling Catra onto the cold, wet surface.

Catra panted as she pressed her cheek against the mud, thankful to be out of the river. She put her hands against the ground, watching the droplets of water fall from the strands of her messy hair as she slowly stood up.

Adora stood up after Catra, and looked towards the east. Slowly, Catra pointed towards the distance. Adora looked to her face to see a wide smile form.

“We’re… We’re here.”

Adora squinted her eyes. In the distance was a clearing of land, with no trees and only the grassy ground. But more than that, there was something else occupying the clearing.

“A… A bus?”

Adora could see a single, vintage bus occupy the piece of land without trees. It was rusting, but Adora could see the lower half of the bus was covered in a green paint similar to the color of the trees, with the top half being as white as the sky during midday.

Catra walked towards the bus and Adora followed. As they got near, Adora could see many cracked or missing windows on the bus, and the green-and-white paint was badly oxidized. On the top of the entrance to the bus was a single number. 142.

Adora and Catra had to scale a few hills, but eventually, they reached the clearing of land, and the bus itself. Catra looked to it with stars in her eyes and a wide grin on her face. “It looks exactly like how I imagined it…” Catra whispered, walking around the bus and inspecting it closely.

“Is… Is this where Chris camped out here?” Adora asked as Catra looked close at the rusted metal.

“Adora…” Catra looked to her partner with a huge grin. “Welcome to bus 142. Otherwise known as the Magic Bus.”

Adora looked at the vehicle. By all means, it was definitely run-down, and in no condition to go anywhere. But with a bit of work, it could make for an immensely useful shelter. She was just glad that the hiking was over for now.

“Who knew you could find a bus stranded all the way out here?” Adora scoffed as she stepped towards the entrance of the bus, going inside. The floor was littered with whiskey bottles and other trash, but it also had a dirty mattress, and a wood-burning stove. With a bit of cleaning, Adora figured they could make this work.

“Chris got lucky stumbling along this place,” Catra explained as she entered after Adora. “It was a major help in how he survived as long as he did. But… It was also his grave.”

Adora slowly placed her pack on the floor of the bus, and let out a sigh. “We don’t have a lot of sunlight left. What should we focus on?” Adora asked.

“I’m going to see if I can get a fire going. After that, we could probably have dinner and try to set up a place to sleep in here. Oh, and we should also try to barricade the broken windows,” Catra pointed to the shattered glass windows of the bus.

“I can handle the windows,” Adora offered, already having a plan in mind. There were a few pieces of cardboard on the floor of the bus, probably to be used for sleeping. But considering that they already had gear to sleep in, Adora figured these cardboard ‘mattresses’ could be repurposed.

She reached into her pack to grab out the duct tape that Catra had brought along with a few other camping supplies in Alaska. As Catra kneeled before the wood-burning stove, Adora exited the bus with the many pieces of cardboard she had gathered.

She went over to the three broken windows on the right side of the bus. The vehicle had overgrown weeds sprouting from underneath, and Adora made note of any berries she found nearby. She placed cardboard against the broken windows, and taped them over.

A few windows were still intact, so they weren’t completely blind in the bus. But the broken ones had to be patched up for the warmth, and so that any wind wouldn’t put the fire out inside. Adora was thankful to whoever inserted the wood-burning stove in the bus. It would be a help for warmth and food down the line.

As Adora taped over the final window, she suddenly saw the sky shined a little brighter. She looked over her shoulder to see that the clouds had parted, showing off a gorgeous sunset on the bus. Adora raised a hand, shielding the sunlight directly from her eyes as she heard Catra’s footsteps against the mud outside once she exited the bus.

Catra couldn’t help but scoff as she saw the sun shined directly onto the bus. “Hey, looks like God approved of us going on this journey!” Catra sarcastically cheered. “And here I thought he’d hate a pair of lesbians having fun.”

“Maybe he was the biggest gay ally of them all,” Adora chuckled. Catra climbed onto the front of the bus, noting that it had no engine, and eventually scaled onto the roof of the bus. Adora followed after her, and took a seat next to Catra on the top of the Magic Bus.

The two of them looked out towards the endless forest and rivers. The sunset shining on the Stampede Trail, and reflecting onto the two of them. “… It’s as beautiful as I always thought it would be,” Catra said softly as she looked at the sight before her.

A flock of birds flew in the distance. Adora was lost in the mix of green, blue and orange that was painted before her. It didn’t feel real. It was too beautiful to be real. But Adora was really breathing in the Alaskan air. Her eyes were really cast on the Alaskan nature.

And she loved every bit of it.

“Where do you reckon Georgia is?” Adora asked out of curiosity. Catra looked around herself, and after a few seconds, she pointed towards the south-east.

“I’d say more than a few miles that way,” she said with a smirk. As Adora scoffed, Catra’s pointed finger guided more to the west. “And about there… Is where we abandoned our rental car. In Arizona.”

“You think its still there?” Adora asked.

“It better be,” Catra replied. Her finger guided a bit more west. “And right about here is where we… attempted to canoe down to Mexico.”

“Emphasis on attempt,” Adora smirked. Catra’s finger guided a bit more west.

“From there to California, and then…” She dragged to the east. “Las Vegas. Your first job.”

“And our first pair of friends on this journey. You think Scorpia and Perfuma are okay these days?” Adora asked.

“I certainly hope so. They said they were going on a road trip of their own. I hope they’re going alright,” Catra said. Her finger went multiple degrees to the east. “And then… That’s where I think our cow is.”

“You mean CatrAdora?” Adora asked with a chuckle. “How you reckon they’re doing?”

“They’re being the best damn cow ever, that’s how they’re doing,” Catra responded. Slowly, her hand lowered and she took a deep breath in through her nose, and out through her mouth. “And… Here we are.”

“Against all odds. We made it,” Adora smiled.

“We fucking made it,” Catra laughed, shaking her head. She laid back on the bus, putting her hands behind her head as she looked up at the orange sky. “And to think… If I had gone by myself, it would’ve all been for nothing.”

Adora looked to her partner with a raised eyebrow. “What do you mean by that?” She asked. Catra took a few seconds to respond.

“I was going to die on this bus,” Catra replied in a nonchalant tone.

Adora could’ve sword she heard Catra’s words wrong. There was no way she just said what she said. “What…?” Adora asked, her voice almost lost as Catra continued to look to the sky. Slowly, her smile faded away as she closed her eyes.

“Chris died on this bus. And when I said I was going to follow in his footsteps… That also meant doing exactly that,” Catra explained.

“Why would you want to do that?!” Adora cried, not believing any of this.

“Because it was either that, or going back to a home I hated. To a life I hated,” Catra said. “Adora… I was fucking miserable back home. Everyone just… saw me as nothing. No matter what I did. My own mother saw me as a failure. And the future… I couldn’t see a future where I could be happy. So… I figured, what better way to die than to do it all the way out here?”

“Catra!” Adora grabbed her partner’s hand. “You can’t… You… You can’t do that! You just can’t!”

“Why not?” Catra asked.

“Because there’s people who love you! You have so much life left to live! You…” Adora took a moment to collect her thoughts as she felt tears well up in her eyes. “I don’t know what to say…”

Catra saw Adora’s tear filled eyes, and slowly, she sat back up, resting a hand on Adora’s cheek. “Hey…” Catra spoke softly as she stroked her thumb against Adora’s gentle cheek. “I’m not going to die anytime soon now.”

“You’re… You’re not?” Adora asked.

“I was going to die on this bus… Was,” Catra said. “But… Then I met you in the bathroom at that train station. You gave me back the ten-thousand dollars I lost… And you asked me if you could come on this journey with me.”

Adora’s eyes slowly widened as Catra spoke. “And at first, I was going to turn you away. After all, this was the journey to my death. I’d… already written my note. I had planned out the way I was going to end my own life. Alone on this bus. But… Then I remembered something.”

“What was that…?” Adora asked.

“Chris used to read a lot of books. One in particular was a book called ‘Doctor Zhivago’. He read it on this bus,” Catra explained, her hand going from Adora’s cheek to her hand. Adora interlocked her fingers with Catra’s as she spoke. “He also used to scribble notes in his books. And one note he scribbled in ‘Doctor Zhivago’ stuck out in my mind when you asked to come along on my journey…”

Catra looked to Adora. “That note read… ‘Happiness only real when shared’.”

Adora felt her breath catch in her throat. Catra looked at Adora’s hand with a smile on her face. “Chris rejected the idea of bonding with other people. He rejected the idea of connection. And I wanted to do the same. But… When you asked me if you could come along on this journey… In that moment, I realized that, in Chris’ last moments of his life, he yearned for connection with other people. He wanted shared happiness.”

Catra rubbed her thumb along Adora’s palm. “So… I accepted. I brought you along with me on the journey to experience something Chris never did… Shared happiness. And throughout the ups and downs… I began to realize he was exactly right. That happiness is real when it’s shared with the people you love.”

Adora could only listen, her breathing slow and the tears in her eyes slowly going away. “I decided a while ago… That this journey would no longer end with my death. I would fight to survive. I would fight to save your life. I would fight for my right to live. And I would fight for our future. Because… My happiness… My happiness deserves to be real. And so does yours.”

Adora felt her heart flutter with warmth as she squeezed Catra’s hand. “Catra…” Adora spoke with a smile.

“So, Adora… I’m not going to die on this bus. I’m not going to die for many, many years. Whoever is waiting for me in the afterlife is going to have to wait a while longer. Because you…” Catra chuckled. “You helped me realize that life really is worth living.”

Catra raised a hand, and gently rested it on Adora’s cheek. “And for that…” Catra smiled. “I will always love you.”

Adora looked into her partner’s eyes. She saw genuine love in Catra’s eyes. In her smile. Adora’s heart had almost stopped as she looked in shock. “You… You love me…?” Adora asked, her voice hoarse.

“I know it’s dumb…” Catra shook her head, looking down at the floor below her. She knew it was only one-sided. But she had resigned herself to that fact. She was okay with it.

But slowly, she felt Adora’s hand placed over her own. Catra’s body jolted, and she looked up to see Adora returning that loving smile. As the sunset shined upon the two of them, Catra saw the orange sky reflect in Adora’s eyes.

“Catra…” Adora sighed. “I love you too.”

The world had stopped. Time had stopped. Nothing else mattered in this moment for Catra. She could only look into Adora’s eyes. Nothing was important except for Adora in this exact moment in time. And eventually, Catra brought her other hand up, and rested it on Adora’s other cheek.

She cupped Adora’s face in her hands. And yet it was Adora who leaned forward and pressed her lips against Catra’s.

Adora always heard that first kisses were meant to be awkward. They were meant to feel weird. But as she closed her eyes and took Catra’s lips with her own, she felt nothing but pure bliss. Catra’s gentle hands against her cheeks made everything in her body feel warm.

For Catra, she couldn’t get the smile off her face as she kissed her partner. She ran a hand through Adora’s long hair as they kissed for so long that they lost track of time. But eventually, Adora had to come back for air.

They opened their eyes as they separated, and yet the taste of each other’s lips was still there. Adora could only let out a chuckle, and Catra giggled in response. The two of them laughed as Adora pushed her forehead against Catra’s.

Their laughter echoed across the trees and the forest as the sky turned dark. They could barely get anymore words out. They didn’t even know what to say anyway. And so, they laughed.

They loved each other, and they laughed.

* * *

“Well… Isn’t this nostalgic?”

Catra laid on a small sleeping bag she had set up on the Magic Bus, eating at some canned soup as Adora dug through her own pack. The sun had completely set and all that surrounded them was the night sky, and the sudden rain that had come about in almost an instant.

The fire from the wood-burning stove illuminated the inside of the bus, and kept the two of them warm throughout the rainy, dark night. As Adora tried to find sleeping gear in her pack, she suddenly dug out a small journal from deep within her bag.

“What’s that?” Catra nodded to the journal within Adora’s hand.

“It’s the entire reason I was reminded to come on this journey,” Adora chuckled. “This is where I wrote that promise to myself.”

“You brought that along with you and you forgot all about it?” Catra raised an eyebrow.

“I did plan to fill it out as we went along, but… I guess it kind of slipped my mind along the way,” Adora explained as she flipped through the pages. As she did, a single photo dropped out from one of the many pages, hitting the floor of the bus.

“Oh, mine!” Catra immediately snatched up the photo before Adora could react. She flipped it around to see a photo of what looked to be a thirteen-year old Adora, who was smiling directly at the camera, showing off a missing tooth and a band-aid on her cheek. “Aww, you were so cute!”

“Give that back!” Adora snatched at the photo. “And what do you mean I WAS cute? Did I degrade or something?”

“Hey, I didn’t say anything like that,” Catra smirked as she laid back on the sleeping bag. “I’d say you’re still as cute as ever.”

“Uh huh. Nice save,” Adora shook her head. She put the journal back in her pack. “Fuck… I feel like a totally different person from back then.”

“How so?” Catra asked, laying on her side and resting her cheek on her hand.

“Just… I don’t know. More alive?” Adora shrugged. “I just don’t feel as confused or lost anymore. I feel… confident, if anything. I made a promise to myself and I kept it. It makes me proud of myself.”

“That’s nice,” Catra smiled. “I’m proud of you too, Adora. I can tell you’ve come a long way from who you used to be last year.”

“Are you just saying that cause I know I’m a lesbian now?” Adora asked with a raised eyebrow and a teasing smile.

“Maybe,” Catra spoke in a cheeky tone. Adora zipped up her bag, and crawled away from the fire, going towards Catra on her sleeping bag.

Without really thinking, Adora slowly crawled on top of Catra, looking down at her and placing her hands on either side of her. Catra looked up to her partner, giving the same teasing smile. “You know you’re being a bit of a smartass, right?” Adora asked.

“I take pride in it,” Catra replied.

After a few seconds of silence, Adora couldn’t stop herself from leaning down and giving her partner a quick kiss on the lips. Catra chuckled at the sudden kiss, but it was in that moment that Adora realized what kind of position she had just put themselves in.

Adora wasn’t sure how to feel about all this. Her face went a slight shade of red, but she definitely liked being like this. A bizarre thought came to mind, and she tried to push it away. But when she looked down at Catra, she could only think of one thing.

She wanted to be close with her.

Slowly, Adora leaned up, still on top of Catra. She looked down at her partner for a few seconds, and took a breath. Her heart was about to pound out of her chest, but she knew that she needed to try now. There wasn’t much time left for them, after all.

Adora’s hand went to the bottom of her long-sleeved shirt, and in a swift motion, she pulled it up over her head. She wore nothing else underneath.

Catra’s heart stopped for a bit, and her eyes widened as she saw a part of Adora she had never seen before. She would always look away when Adora was getting changed or in the shower. But now, it seemed like Adora wanted her to see this.

Adora noticed Catra’s reaction of shock. “Sorry… Was that weird?” Adora asked.

“I…” Catra shook her head. “N… No. I was just a bit…. Stunned. Why’d you do that?” Catra asked, even though she likely already knew the answer.

Adora’s face went red again, but she was in too deep now. She took another deep breath. “Because… I want you to touch me,” Adora spoke softly. “But only if you want to as well.”

Catra’s hands were frozen stiff, and she had to scream at herself internally to move her body. She was shaking slightly, and she wasn’t sure why. She had done this before. But she never imagined it with Adora.

Eventually, Catra placed her warm hands on Adora’s cheek. Slowly, she dragged it down and over her collarbone. Adora’s body felt fuzzy as her collarbone was tickled slightly, and then that sensation soon became a sudden pleasure as Catra’s hand ran over the curves on Adora’s chest. Adora let out a sudden gasp.

“You okay?” Catra asked.

“Yeah… Just got surprised,” Adora chuckled. “I promise, I’ll tell you if I’m feeling uncomfortable.”

Catra looked to the shirtless Adora, and she realized she didn’t want to leave her alone like this. Suddenly, Catra took off her jacket, and pulled off her own shirt as well. She left herself in a bra, but that was quickly removed as well.

Adora’s eyes gazed at Catra’s body for a few seconds. She swallowed, a tad nervous that Catra was so experienced and yet she herself had never done this before. “You can touch me if you want as well,” Catra said.

“… Sorry. I’m probably driving you crazy by how slow this is going,” Adora apologized, but she was soon met with Catra leaning up and placing a hand on her cheek.

“You’re right. You’re driving me fucking insane with how beautiful you are,” Catra smiled. “But I don’t care how long you need. We’ve got all the time in the world. And as long as you’re happy, I’m happy.”

As Adora looked to her partner, Catra slowly undid Adora’s ponytail, letting her blonde hair flow onto her rough skin. Adora looked deeply into Catra’s eyes, and quickly, she leaned forward. Adora pushed her lips against Catra’s, wrapping her arms around Catra’s bare shoulders as she pushed her down onto the sleeping bag.

Their bodies pressed against each other, giving off a heat greater than the fire Catra had built. Catra’s hand ran down the bumps of Adora’s spine as they kissed, and Adora was surprised when Catra involved some tongue in their kiss. She wasn’t sure how to respond, but she allowed it.

Their kiss separated, but they continued to hold each other. Their foreheads pressed against each other. “I love you…” Adora whispered.

“I love you so fucking much…” Catra responded. She ran a hand through Adora’s hair and pressed her lips to Adora’s ear. “And I’m going to make you mine.”

Catra’s voice sent shivers down Adora’s spine, and her breath came out in shudders as Catra’s expert lips ran over the crook of her neck, nibbling at all the right places. Adora didn’t want to have Catra do all the work, and so she returned by running her hand over Catra’s body, her thumbs rubbing against the sensitive points on Catra’s breasts.

The soft gasp Catra let out was enough to convince Adora to keep going. Clothes were shed, and yet the heat only continued to rise. Their bodies never separated, not once. Control was not with one or the other, but they simply shared it. They took in each other’s voices, pants, moans, bodies and love.

And underneath it all was a desperation to never let go, despite what the future may hold.


	14. Moments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A storm arrives.

As Catra climbed to the top of the Magic Bus, she saw a storm approaching on the horizon.

The cool wind on her skin and the goosebumps on her arms were promptly ignored by the wide grin on her face. Even after two and a half weeks, she never got sick of this view. The endless array of trees contrasting against the dark gray clouds.

Catra took in a deep breath and cupped her hands around her mouth. “Is there anybody out here?!” She called out, and then put a hand behind her ear, listening to the echo of her voice ringing out for miles upon miles in the Stampede Trail.

A few seconds passed, and once her echo had rung out, Catra smirked. “Guess not!” She called out again.

Adora couldn’t help but laugh at Catra’s antics as she carried a large pile of twigs, bark and wood back to the bus. “You’re going to attract a bear or something,” Adora called out to Catra as she climbed back down from the bus.

“Relax! We’ll be fine,” Catra responded as she helped her partner out with the wood, placing it in a pile under a small gap underneath the bus. Adora was rewarded with a kiss on the cheek from Catra upon dropping the wood. “Thanks for that.”

“No problem. It’s kind of nice hiking through these woods,” Adora smiled. “What’s the plan for today, anyway?”

Catra stepped inside the bus, and Adora followed after her. “We’re running low on food, actually. I’ve been trying to hunt and all, but I can’t seem to find anything,” Catra explained as she grabbed Adora’s pack, handing it over to her partner.

“So what’re we going to do?” Adora asked as she held her pack in her hands. Catra quickly put the straps of her own pack around her shoulders.

“We’re going berry hunting,” Catra replied. “It’s not much, but it’ll have to do until I find something to cook.”

“We’ve already exhausted the berries nearby. Where are we going to find more?” Adora asked further as Catra hopped out of the bus. Adora followed after her as she started to head west, down a few hills and through the thick trees and bushes.

“There’s a few in a condensed part of the forest down the path. The good news is that it’s in a place we’ve hiked to before,” Catra explained as they walked.

“And the bad news?” Adora tilted her head.

“We’re going to have to cross that river again.”

Adora’s heart went cold upon hearing those words. She had come across the river a few times within the last couple of weeks, and on some days, it’s mostly calm. But on the worst of days, it looked like a complete death trap.

“Catra, are we sure we want to do this today?” Adora asked. “I mean… When I was out getting wood earlier, I looked up and saw a bunch of storm clouds in the distance. If we get caught out here when that comes, we might not be able to get back across that river.”

“Which is why we need to hurry,” Catra said, walking a pace faster. “If we don’t get some food tonight, we’ll start getting exhausted. And once we get exhausted, it might as well be all over. Come on.”

Adora opened her mouth to try and persuade Catra into doing something else, but the words refused to come out. They caught in her throat, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t push them out. Maybe her heart felt different?

She simply had to keep up with Catra.

After a few more minutes, the two of them pushed through a set of bushes and came across the river. To their relief, they found it to be a gentle, calm stream today. “Alright, good. If we hurry, we can get in and out before the river changes,” Catra said with a grin.

Adora looked out towards the clouds again, and as soon as she saw the storm clouds, she heard the harsh crack of thunder echo across the Alaskan sky. She looked to Catra, and saw that she was already halfway across the river, holding onto the cable in the meantime.

Adora sighed, and followed after her partner. It was an easy push through the gentle river, but Adora hurried herself through, making it out on the other end a few seconds after Catra. Her partner was already jogging into the nearby forest.

She followed after, going within the trees and just barely making out the figure of her partner as she ran behind her. All the while, the booming of thunder echoed into Adora’s ears. “Catra, where are these berries?” Adora asked.

“They’re around here somewhere…” Catra’s eyes frantically scanned around. As she stopped to look, Adora felt a light trickle of water drop onto the back of her neck.

Adora looked up to see the clouds becoming darker and darker. What turned into a few trickles of soft rain was slowly developing into sloppy droplets of the storm crashing down upon them. “Catra, we need to go soon!” Adora spoke quickly, pulling the hood of her jacket over her head.

“I know, I know!” Catra replied hastily, and then suddenly, her body jumped. “Ah! There!”

“You found it?” Adora asked, following after her partner towards a thick set of bushes, where she spotted purple berries sprouting from it.

“Perfect, this should be enough for both of us,” Catra said as she picked the berries off the bush. In the meantime, the rain was growing heavier and heavier, and the dirt ground slowly turned into slimy mud that stuck to Adora’s boots.

“You sure they’re safe to eat?” Adora asked.

“They fucking better be,” Catra sighed, pocketing the grapes. “Now let’s get out of here.”

Catra ran back the way they came, and Adora followed after. What started as a light jog turned into a full-on sprint as the two of them made their way through the bushes, trees and leaves. Adora could feel the branches cut at her arm sometimes, but she ignored the stinging pain.

When the two of them reached the clearing, they immediately turned to the river. It had only been three minutes.

And yet the river was now a raging rush of deadly water.

“Oh no…” Adora’s eyes widened as Catra put her hands on the back of her head.

“Shit…” Catra hissed, pacing as she felt her heart race within her chest. “SHIT!” Catra suddenly screamed, the storm above them growing more and more angry as time went on.

“Should… Should we set up camp here until the storm passes?” Adora asked.

“There’s too many risks. Storm can destroy any of our tents in an instant. Besides, I’m worried about bears or whatever the fuck else is out here,” Catra sighed, looking towards the raging river. Her throat had almost clamped shut out of fear.

“Catra, we need to do something!” Adora cried out.

“You think I don’t know that?!” Catra hissed back at her partner. She looked to the river one more time. The rushing water, with foam forming at the top.

And slowly, Catra stepped towards the river.

“What… What are you doing?” Adora asked as Catra approached the river. Catra looked down at the rushing water, and beneath it, she could make out the faint outline of the cable they used to hold onto when crossing.

“Look…” Catra pondered for a few seconds as she stood on the edge of the surface, right next to the river. She slowly turned to Adora. “We need to…”

Before Catra could get the words out, Adora suddenly saw Catra’s foot slip against the mud beneath her as she fell backwards into the raging water.

“CATRA!” Adora cried out, leaping towards her partner. The water suddenly went up to Catra’s chest as she fell in, and her fingers dug into the mud as she let out a scream.

The river felt a thousand heavy gusts of wind beating against Catra’s body. Her leg went in first when she slipped, and Catra heard a snap within her shin. The agonizing pain told her she had broken it. But she had to push through the pain as she dug her hands into the slippery mud.

Her fingernails leaked blood from how tight her grip was. Her panting was heavy and the panic within her body was shooting through the roof. Adora suddenly knelt down before Catra, and grabbed onto her jacket, attempting to pull her partner up.

But the strength of the river was intense. Adora’s effort was no match for the rushing water, and as she pulled, she heard Catra’s screams of pain. Whatever Adora was doing was hurting her more, but she kept going. Adora pulled and pulled and pulled.

And then, Adora fell back onto the land.

Her heart stopped. She looked at her hands and saw that she had only managed to pull Catra’s jacket with her.

Adora’s eyes widened. She knelt back up, and when she looked into the river again, Catra was gone.

“Catra…?” Adora’s breath came out in shudders. She looked up and down the river, and yet there was no sign of her. Slowly, Adora stood up, holding Catra’s jacket close to her chest. “Catra? Catra?” Adora panted, running alongside the river downstream.

Her breath felt icy cold and her heart felt like stone. Adora ran until her legs gave out. Her body felt numb. “Catra?! CATRA?! CATRA, PLEASE ANSWER ME!” Adora cried out, looking into the rushing water. Her vision was clouded by the intense rain of the storm.

Adora suddenly fell to her knees. She wasn’t sure if it was rainwater or tears that stained her cheeks. She wasn’t sure if the cold had gotten to her or if grief made her heart stop. The ends of Adora’s fingers were blue. Her teeth were chattering.

She clutched Catra’s jacket close. Her eyes shut tight as she doubled over and let out painful sobs. Eventually, the rainwater froze over her closed eyelids, and she couldn’t get them back open. Adora was trapped in darkness. She was trapped. Alone.

Alaska was a beautiful place. It had taken another life.

* * *

Adora’s eyes suddenly opened as she let out a sharp gasp.

It took a while to get some panicked breaths out as she suddenly sat up, putting her hands over her face. Instead of rainwater, she felt her warm skin. The storm was no longer hanging over her head. Instead, when Adora looked up, she saw the roof of the Magic Bus.

Adora felt the soft mattress beneath herself. Her head spun to her side, and she saw that there was another figure laying in the bed.

It was Catra. Asleep. Peaceful.

Adora’s sigh of relief came along with a few tears, and all of it was enough to slowly awaken Catra as her eyes fluttered open. She rubbed the sleep out of them with her thumb and index finger as she turned around and saw Adora’s teary eyes.

“Adora…? You okay?” Catra asked, reaching out a hand and placing it on her partner’s cheek.

Adora could only respond by suddenly wrapping her arms around Catra’s shoulder, holding her. “I’m sorry… I know it sounds pathetic but… I had a bad dream…” Adora whimpered. She expected to hear Catra’s amused laughter or some teasing words.

But she was instead met with Catra’s fingers raking gently through her hair. “It’s okay…” Catra spoke softly. The whispered words were enough to make Adora hold her closer than before.

“Catra…” Adora looked over to their food supply. It was only about four cans of soup and some protein bars. Despite most of the situation earlier being a dream, their low food supply was not.

“Was the dream about this place?” Catra asked as Adora backed off slightly.

“Yeah…” Adora nodded, sighing. “I know I should be more brave. But… This place is dangerous, Catra. We’re low on food and the weather hasn’t been helping us out. And I know I should expect hardships on a journey, but… I don’t want to go too far and end up like…”

She couldn’t get the words out, but Catra knew who she was talking about. “Is your gut telling you we’re in a bad spot?” Catra asked.

“I know it’s dumb…” Adora responded. She looked at the floor out of shame. It had been almost a year on this journey. They had only been here for two weeks. Adora didn’t want to wimp out now or appear like a coward.

But soon, she was met with Catra’s lips pressing against her forehead.

“I think I’ve been having the same feelings too, Adora,” Catra replied. “I love this place… But as beautiful as it is, it’s also dangerous. And… I don’t want all of this to be for nothing.”

“You’re… You’re not upset with me?” Adora asked. Catra’s thumb brushed gently against her cheek as she shook her head.

“I could never,” Catra responded. “Besides… I’ve already found what I was looking for on this journey. I’m not trying to find some awakening in Alaska… I’ve already found something to keep going on for. You, Adora. I found the meaning of love with you. And that’s all I need. I just want to savor the moments we have together.”

Adora looked at her partner with wide eyes. She never could’ve expected these words to come from Catra, and yet, she seemed fully on board with calling the end now. “I don’t… I don’t want to ruin anything for us…” Adora said.

“You’re not,” Catra shook her head. “You’ve got a gut feeling. And sometimes, you need to trust that more than anything else. It has saved people’s lives before. And it might save ours. I’m happy with our journey, Adora. I want to spend more time with you… But I don’t want the cost to be our lives.”

Adora could only look. Slowly, her hands ran over Catra’s cheeks. And she leaned down, pressing her lips against her partner’s. It was a brief kiss, but it said everything for her. Catra returned it passionately.

“Thank you…” Adora sighed, her breath coming out in shudders.

“I love you,” Catra smiled. “We’ll pack first thing in the morning, alright? If the river is calm, we’ll be able to leave soon.”

“I would like that,” Adora replied as she laid back down in the bed, facing her partner and holding her hand tight. “I love you so much.”

The cold Alaskan air did nothing to dull their love for each other. Adora had a tinge of guilt in her stomach, but she was glad to be onboard with Catra. She was glad not to have upset her. She was glad that they were going to make it out alive.

Adora slept with more peaceful dreams that night.

* * *

“You think you can still do this?”

Adora and Catra stood atop a wet, grassy hill. They looked down to see a set of train tracks that led down south, which would take them through Canada. From there, it would be a straight shot using public transportation towards Georgia.

“Please,” Adora scoffed. “I’ve become an expert at freighthopping now.”

Catra looked to her partner with a smile. They had left the Stampede Trail a few days ago once the river was calm enough to cross and they had devised a plan on how to get home. Catra never planned for this part of the journey, so they were well and truly winging it.

The gentle rain felt like a blessing upon their skin as they looked out towards the distance and saw the familiar outline of a train rapidly approaching them. Adora kept her hands on her pack, jogging on the spot slightly to prepare herself.

“Guess this is the last time we’ll have to do this, huh?” Catra said. “I honestly got used to it after a point. It’s kinda nice to watch the scenery fly by.”

“I wouldn’t enjoy nearly as much if I didn’t do it with you,” Adora smiled. “Remember back in Georgia? You could’ve totally left me behind, but you promised you would always catch me. It meant a lot.”

“I wasn’t about to leave a girl as cute as you all by herself in the middle of nowhere,” Catra scoffed. Adora shook her head as she heard Catra’s flirts, and her eyes turned towards the train. It had begun to fly by them, and so they waited a few more seconds.

Catra took a breath. “And…”

“Beat you there!” Adora replied, sprinting ahead of her partner.

“Oh, you son of a bitch!” Catra chuckled as she chased after Adora. They ran down the hill, keeping their balance as they held onto their packs, and eventually began to sprint alongside one car that was practically empty.

Adora threw her pack in at the same time Catra did. They both ran as fast as they could. Adora wanted to wait until she was at a reliable distance to jump. She felt the wind blow pass her face and her laughter echoed with the rumbling of the train.

But ultimately, it was Catra who won as she jumped into the car mere seconds before Adora did.

Adora felt the cold floor of the car as she panted, thankful to have made her last attempt at freighthopping. “And here we are, a year later, and I’m still better than you at this,” Catra smirked, looking down at her partner.

“Yeah, screw you too…” Adora replied in a sarcastic tone as she sat up, looking out of the car to see the distance frozen rivers and trees, all of it being covered in soft rain. “Has it really been a year?”

“Around that. I used to keep track of the day count in my journal,” Catra replied casually. Adora saw Catra come sit next to her as they hung their legs out of the car.

“I’m sorry, your… what?” Adora asked in a state of disbelief. Catra reached behind herself, pulling her pack over to herself and opening it up. Within the pack was a hidden pocket that she tore open, and Adora saw Catra pull out a small book.

“I’ve been keeping this ever since we left for this journey. I…” Catra looked at the journal. “I kept it on me so that when people found my body in Alaska, they’d… have something to go of off. So…”

“Oh…” Adora spoke quietly. A few seconds of silence followed before Adora spoke up again. “Did you… write in it often?”

“Yeah. I never wanted to show you because it’d reveal stuff about myself that I wasn’t comfortable sharing. But… I feel comfortable around you now,” Catra smiled at her partner. “You’re my girlfriend, after all. I… I think?”

“Well, I thought we were a thing,” Adora shrugged. “Did we… never officially declare that?”

“Huh… I guess not,” Catra realized. “Hey Adora, wanna be my girlfriend?”

“Sure. Sounds fun,” Adora replied in a nonchalant voice. But soon enough, her lips curled into a smile and she let out a few chuckles alongside Catra. “We’re a bunch of dorks, aren’t we?”

“The term ‘useless lesbian’ exists for a reason,” Catra replied as her laughter slowly calmed. “So… I want to read you a few entries from this now. If… If that’s alright with you? They’re a bit… sad sometimes. And I might sound cruel or cold at some points.”

“Only if you’re comfortable,” Adora responded, leaning back slightly as she looked to her partner. Catra took a few seconds to look at the front of the journal, and she slowly let out a deep breath. She thought she’d never show the contents to anybody while she was alive.

But eventually, she flicked open the first page.

“Day one…” Catra read out as Adora watched the scenery before her. “This is probably going to be the first entry you read upon discovering my… my body. My name is Catra. I come from Tennessee. My mother’s name is Shadow Weaver. I went on this journey to get away from her. To get away from… life. And yet, I’m not alone. At least, not for now. I have someone else with me. Her name is Adora.”

Adora turned to her partner as she spoke. “Adora had nothing to do with my death. I guess it’s just nice to have the company. I’ll have to leave her at some point. I don’t know when. But she doesn’t deserve the same fate as me. I’ll make sure she lives. After all, her friend scared the shit out of me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to ditch her like some lost puppy. I just want to make sure she gets home alive.”

Adora chuckled as Catra flipped to another page. “Day three… We’re in Texas already. I could’ve left Adora behind. She was never going to make it on that train, and she wasn’t too far from home. And yet… I promised to always catch her. I don’t know what was going through my head. Maybe it’s the fact she might have died if I didn’t catch her. I don’t know. But I’m going to find a car for us in the morning. We’ll be going to Arizona next.”

She looked down further on the page. “… Horrible news. I got a text from Shadow Weaver. She knows where I am. The fucking phone gave us away. She’ll piece together everything in no time. No matter. I’ll be dead by the end of it all anyway.”

Another page. “Day twenty-six… Adora and I are still on the road. She’s got this weird idea of showering using the sprinklers they use on crops in farms. She can knock herself out. She’s having fun, so who am I to judge? We approach a river soon. I might have to tell her about my fear of water. Maybe she’ll laugh in my face.”

“Hey, sprinkler showers are the best!” Adora spoke up. Catra could only shake her head.

“Day forty… I nearly lost her. I nearly fucking lost Adora. I’m an idiot for even suggesting to go down that river. Her death would’ve been on my hands. I’m the one that’s supposed to die, not her. Fuck, I still don’t know what to do. I can’t just abandon her in the middle of all this. But I can’t lead her down the same path as me. Everything is fucked.”

Adora wanted to hold Catra’s hand, but she held back for now. “Day sixty-eight… Adora looked so happy in the Californian waves… I had to bring up our lack of money. She’s going to find a job in Las Vegas. I could leave her in Vegas. No… No, who am I kidding anymore? I can’t leave her behind. Not after all of this. It would hurt me to even try that. Fuck… I think I’m actually getting attached to her.”

Catra stopped for a few seconds. “… Day one-hundred. We made it. Triple digits. And I realize today that I’m in love with Adora. Or maybe I’ve known that all along and I just can’t bring myself to admit it. That attachment has always been there, but I’m afraid to call it love. But there’s no other way to describe it.”

Catra turned a few more pages. “Day… I don’t know. I don’t know anything anymore. The girl I love almost got shot today. As we ran from those fucking pigs, I realized that the idea of death scared me. And yet at the same time, I deserve a punishment for all the danger I put her through. My water supply is empty. I think I’ll keep it that way. It’s what I deserve.”

Catra felt Adora’s hand on her shoulder, but she kept going. “Day two-hundred and something or other. She still hasn’t given up on me. Even after all this time. Even after everything I’ve put her through. She hasn’t left me like everyone else. And to think I was going to leave her… She’s not the only one. Scorpia, Perfuma, and even this driver, Mermista… They haven’t abandoned us. They’ve helped us along the way.”

Catra took a breath. “I’m slowly coming to the realization that this journey doesn’t need to end with my death. This life has had its difficulties, but death doesn’t need to be the answer. I started this journal as a suicide note. But now, I want to live. So… I think I’ll hold off on entries for now.”

Catra turned to find only empty pages after that. She looked at it for a few more seconds, before reaching into her pack and pulling out a pen. “Adora… I think the last entry should be yours,” Catra offered, handing the journal and pen to her partner.

Adora took them in her hand. She looked at the blank page before her, and pondered for a few seconds what to write. But eventually, she simply pushed the tip of the pen against the page, and let the words flow.

Adora wrote in silence for a few minutes. Catra didn’t try to look over her shoulder, but instead looked out to the beautiful sky and distant scenery. She closed her eyes and felt the wind on her face. She never would’ve exposed herself like that to anyone a year ago. Catra never imagined a day she’d read her journal to Adora.

Catra knew in that moment that she had changed. She liked that thought.

Eventually, Adora’s hand stilled. She placed the pen back down, and looked at her single entry. Catra looked over to her partner. “You okay with reading it out?” Catra asked. Adora didn’t respond for some time as she looked at the entry.

Until eventually, she took a breath.

“Dear journal,” Adora started. “You may notice some different handwriting. This is Adora. Catra’s travel partner, friend and… lover.”

Catra turned to Adora as she spoke. “We went to Alaska. We stayed for about two weeks. Doesn’t sound like a lot of time, but we mostly did it out of safety. Maybe that sounds disappointing. But I’d say I already found what I was looking for on this journey.”

“When I started, I was lost. I had made a promise to myself when I was thirteen to go on a journey, and yet I never did. The future was rapidly approaching, and I was scared. I was terrified. But one day, a woman ran by me, and dropped ten-thousand dollars in an envelope before me. I’m sure that woman needs no introduction,” Adora smiled as she spoke.

“Catra has shown me what love and life truly is. The happiness and sadness that we experience in this little thing called life. There have been moments we loved. Moments we regret. But ultimately, they have all been just that. Moments. Things we will remember until the end of our lives, and then on. Nobody can take those moments from us. Catra and I share something that nobody else will ever have. These moments. They define who we are as people.”

Adora stopped for a few seconds, and swallowed. “And now… All we are going to be left with is moments. Memories of a time when we canoed down a river, or stole a car from a rental place, or named a cow after ourselves, or hiked through the Stampede Trail. We will have these… and only these. Once we get back home, we’re likely going to be separated. It will be another moment of sadness and grief.”

Adora’s breath shuddered as tears welled in her eyes. “But it will be that… another moment. And damn anybody who thinks they can ruin our memories.”

Adora read the last line. “So while they may take us away from each other… They can never take away our love… our memories… our… our moments.”

And with that, Adora closed the journal. Tears silently streaming down her cheeks as she turned to Catra, and saw her red, stinging eyes. There was silence. The wind rushing by them as they looked at each other.

And then, a sob broke out from Catra.

Adora immediately wrapped her arms tightly around her partner as she, too, broke into ugly, desperate sobs. Catra’s wails echoed into Adora’s ears, and Adora’s tears stained Catra’s neck. Adora cried harder than she ever had in her entire life.

Catra clung to the back of Adora’s jacket as they hugged. No words came. Only sobs and desperate cries. The endless tears that came with the knowledge that they had a limited amount of time left together.

And yet, it was another moment.

* * *

Adora emerged onto the train station where it all began.

It had taken a few weeks to get from Alaska all the way to here. But after countless rides, they had finally arrived back home in Georgia.

Adora looked around the station. She didn’t see anyone she recognized. Catra walked out behind her and took in the smell of Atlanta. The orange sunset basking the city and station in warmth and joy. And yet, within Adora’s chest, her heart was racing like crazy.

She had sent a letter to Glimmer and Bow that she would arrive home soon and that they could tell as many people as they wanted. Adora was prepared for any questions that may come her way. Her and Catra had agreed as to the story they would give to any cops or other people.

However, Adora couldn’t see Glimmer or Bow anywhere. She had told them exactly where she would arrive. Maybe they were late? Adora was only a tad concerned, but if anything, it might give her more time with Catra.

“Feels like a lifetime since we met here,” Catra observed as the two of them walked through the station.

“I used to come to this station every day to go to and from school. Fuck… I’m going to have to repeat my last year,” Adora chuckled, shaking her head.

“Sorry about that,” Catra apologized. “If it’s any consolation, I might need to do the same.”

“It’s okay,” Adora smiled as they walked towards the exit of the station. Compared to everyone else, Adora had more frazzled hair, more beat-up skin and more torn clothes. And yet she felt more alive than ever before.

And when Adora emerged from the front of the train station, she saw dozens of people waiting for her.

Adora had a mini heart attack as she saw familiar classmates cheer upon seeing her emerge. At the front of it all was Bow and Glimmer, who had clearly been planning some sort of reunion party for her. Bow had tears in his eyes upon seeing his friend again.

Adora went to go say hi to everyone, but she quickly turned to Catra first. “You want to introduce yourself to my class from last year?” Adora asked Catra.

Catra shrugged. “This is more your thing. You should go be with everyone first,” Catra responded. Adora placed her hand over Catra’s.

“You sure?” She asked.

“Yeah,” Catra smiled. “You haven’t seen them in ages. I’ll just wait right here, alright?”

Adora looked to her partner for a few more seconds, and eventually, she nodded. She walked away from Catra and practically into the arms of Glimmer and Bow, as well as a whole crowd that was waiting for her.

“She lived!” Bow cheered.

“She was always going to live! I made sure of that!” Glimmer chuckled, rubbing Adora’s hair. “You have got to tell us all about it when you get the chance, alright?”

“I know, I know…” Adora smiled. “I didn’t realize so many people cared about my disappearance.”

“We thought something bad had happened!” One of Adora’s classmates spoke up. “You should’ve brought us along with you!”

Adora chuckled. “Sorry about that… But it was a journey for Catra and I to take by ourselves. Besides, I didn’t want you all to fail your exams,” Adora smiled.

“Catra? Who’s Catra?” One of the other classmates asked. The barrage of questions coming her way almost deafened Adora, but she tried to answer as many as possible. The one about Catra stuck out amongst the race.

“Catra…” Adora took a few seconds. “Catra is someone who is extremely special to me. She took me on this journey. She helped… She helped me become a better version of myself. She means so much to me.”

“Is Catra the one getting into that police car?”

Adora’s eyes suddenly widened. The sound of conversation all became dull as she quickly spun her head. But when she looked to where Catra was waiting, she found nobody there.

She turned to her right, and saw a police car driving off in the distance.

“H… Huh?” Adora spoke quietly. She walked towards the road, as if trying to chase after the police car.

“Did they arrest her or something?” One classmate spoke.

“I don’t know. She wasn’t resisting,” another responded.

Adora watched as the cop car took her partner away. It disappeared into the distance and over the horizon, going towards the city and up north towards Tennessee. She watched and could do nothing as her partner of the last year, the woman she loved, was stripped away in less than a few seconds.

Adora felt her legs give away, and she crumbled to her knees. Tears didn’t even come. No emotion or thought could process in Adora’s mind. Glimmer and Bow looked to each other, unsure of what to do as Adora simply kneeled and watched.

“Adora…? I’m… I’m so sorry…” Glimmer spoke gently, placing a hand on Adora’s shoulder. It was enough to trigger the first, silent tear. Adora kneeled on an empty road. Despite the people behind her, she had never felt more alone. She let out a shuddered breath, and only spoke a few words.

“I didn’t even get to say goodbye…” 


	15. And Every Journey Must Come To An End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following the separation, Adora's future once again turns into uncertainty.

“Times up. Pens down.”

Adora felt the pen slip from her hand almost instantly as soon as those words were uttered. Her hand felt like it was on fire from writing so much. But now, she was free from the burden of exams, tests and classes. At least for now.

She looked up at her classmates. She could see the happiness on some of their faces. After all, this was their last exam. Leaving those doors meant the holidays, once and for all. At least until they need to start thinking about their futures.

Adora still hadn’t gotten to know the faces of her new classmates, even after all this time. There was no Bow or Glimmer or anyone else she really recognized. Maybe it was on her to get to know them, but she could never bring herself to.

Eventually, the teacher up front collected all of their papers. Adora hoped for a pass at least. It was all she really needed.

“Alright, you can go,” the teacher said after a few minutes. Adora stood up along with everyone else, grabbing her small backpack and walking towards the front door. The backpack felt like a feather compared to the heavy pack she used to carry for all that time.

She opened up the front pocket of her backpack, fishing out her phone. A new one. She saved up and paid for it herself, but she mostly used it to talk to Bow and Glimmer ever since they moved interstate to New York.

As Adora walked from school to the train station, she scrolled through her messages. It was almost like a ritual at this point, but she always opened her text chat with Catra. She wasn’t sure why. Maybe there was some chance Catra would respond to the fifty unread messages Adora had sent.

But ever since Adora was separated from Catra a year ago, she hadn’t heard a single word from her partner.

Adora sighed. She pocketed her phone as she approached the train station. It still looked the same as ever, basked in the orange sunlight. The many people in school uniforms standing on the platform, discussing parties, alcohol and events for the holidays.

Adora wasn’t sure what she was going to do.

She looked towards the city on the horizon as she stood on the train platform. Looking down on the multiple buildings and lights and cars reminded her of the job she used to have in Vegas. She’d camp atop a large hill, looking down on Vegas with her partner.

Thinking back to the journey always filled Adora with weird, mixed emotions. She regretted absolutely nothing about the journey. But she missed it all the same. She missed the places. She missed the views.

She missed her partner.

Adora still loved Catra, even after all this time. She always wondered what Catra was up to these days. She said she’d have to repeat schooling. Maybe she was finishing up her last exam too? Maybe she had ran away from it all yet again?

Adora could only do that. Wonder.

Until suddenly, she heard a rapid series of footsteps to her right. The echo ringing throughout the platform. Someone was running towards her. Adora’s eyes widened, and she turned to see someone with a large bag around their shoulder sprinting towards her.

Adora’s heart stopped as the person ran pass her. The sun behind them, reflecting off their figure. Adora felt like everything had gone slow motion. Her breath had caught in her throat, and her world had stopped.

“Ca…” Adora croaked out, but as soon as she did, the person continued to run from her. Adora saw that they were late for their train, but this time, they had boarded it. They dropped nothing from their bag. They did not even notice Adora.

Adora wasn’t sure what she was thinking. She wasn’t sure why her hands were shaking.

She sighed.

As her train arrived, she suddenly felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. As she made her way through the crowd of people and onto an empty space to stand on the train, she pulled out her phone to see she had gotten a text from Perfuma.

**FlowerPower39:** I hope I haven’t miscalculated my time-zone, but I want to congratulate you on finishing your last exam! How does it feel to be free?

Adora smiled upon seeing the text. As the train began to move and she held onto the railing above her, Adora texted back.

**AdorablyScary33:** I’m just glad it’s over. Being held back a year was really awkward since everyone in my class saw me as some dumb adult. I guess I just feel a little confused about what to do now.

**FlowerPower39:** I remember feeling the same once I graduated school. Back then, on top of everything, realizing I was trans just made for a… weird time in my life. But meeting Scorpia really helped me through everything.

**AdorablyScary33:** That’s really nice to hear. How are you two doing?

**FlowerPower39:** Absolutely wonderful! It’s really early morning in Paris so I had to make sure I didn’t wake Scorpia by sending you this text. I’ll have to send you the pictures later.

Adora looked at her phone with a smile. Her thumb hovered over the keyboard for some time as she pondered a question. She likely already knew the answer, but she couldn’t get it out of her mind. Adora took a breath.

**AdorablyScary33:** Hey, so I know this is out of nowhere, but… have you two heard from Catra recently at all?

**FlowerPower39:** Oh, Adora… The second we get a text or any message from Catra, the first thing we’d do is let you know. But I’m sorry, we haven’t had any luck either.

Adora sighed. She wasn’t sure why she asked in the first place.

**AdorablyScary33:** That’s alright. Thanks, Perfuma. You should probably get some sleep now.

**FlowerPower39:** Are you okay, Adora? I’m always here if you need me.

Adora looked at the text from Perfuma for a while. She wanted to brush her off and simply go about her day, but in her heart, she knew that ignoring this was only going to make it hurt even more. She looked out the window to the orange sunset for a few seconds, before typing back.

**AdorablyScary33:** I know it has been a year, but… I still really miss her.

Adora felt a lump build in her throat as she sent the message. She put her phone away for a few seconds, looking up to the roof of the train as to not let any tears flow. She swallowed down the lump, and yet it only kept building as she thought of her partner again and again.

Adora felt her phone vibrate. She let out a shuddered sigh, and looked down.

**FlowerPower39:** I know, Adora. You two were really made for each other. But I’ll tell you this. I just can’t see a future where you two aren’t together. This may hurt now, but I believe this isn’t permanent. One day, you will see her again.

Adora looked at the text and felt a warm trickle of honey through her heart. It was a nice thought.

**AdorablyScary33:** You really think so?

**FlowerPower39:** I’m not too confident about many things, but of that, I am completely confident. I’m sure Catra misses you too. Just push through with your future, Adora. I’m sure Catra will be down the line somewhere.

**AdorablyScary33:** Thank you so much, Perfuma. I think I’ll be alright. Thinking of her usually gets me into a down mood, but I’ll move forward.

**FlowerPower39:** I think that’s what she’d want for you. I’ll talk to you later, alright?

**AdorablyScary33:** Alright. Good night, Perfuma.

**FlowerPower39:** <3

Adora pocketed her phone as the train slowly arrived at her station. She pushed through to the exit, leaving behind the station and walking down the street to her home.

The streetlights slowly flickered to the life as the world turned dark. Adora walked underneath each one, looked at the path ahead of her as the sky above her turned a deep shade of purple and blue. The strings of clouds contrasting against the dark sky.

She fished her house key out of her bag and opened up the front door. Adora took her shoes off as she entered the house and saw one of her mom’s in the kitchen making dinner.

“Hey, Adora,” her mom smiled at her as she entered. “How was your last exam?”

“Fine, I guess,” Adora shrugged. She noticed a single envelope on the dining table, and her mother noticed her eyes directed towards it.

“That came for you today,” her mother nodded to the envelope. “Have you got a friend in California?”

Adora’s eyes widened. “I… I don’t think so…” Adora shook her head as she grabbed the envelope from the table. She took it up to her room, confused as to who it was from. It couldn’t be her. Adora already knew it couldn’t be her.

She entered her bedroom, closing the door behind her as she sat on the bed. The envelope definitely came from California, judging by the sticker on the front of it. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to open this envelope, but sooner or later, her curiosity would get the better of her.

Slowly, Adora tore open the top, and fished out a folded piece of paper. It was a letter, and when Adora opened it up, she saw some cash drop from it. Her eyes looked at the money dropped onto her lap. Someone had sent her a few hundred dollars.

Adora’s eyes widened as she saw the green notes. Money in an envelope…

Her eyes looked to the letter.

‘Hey Adora. It has certainly been a while…’

Upon reading those first two words, her partner’s teasing tone came to mind. She kept going along.

‘I’m sorry I left you behind without a word. I felt like complete and utter shit for ages over the fact that we didn’t even get to say goodbye before the cops took me away to Shadow Weaver. I barely got a say in the matter. I wanted to contact you for all this time, but I wasn’t able to get a phone or get a letter out or anything. Shadow Weaver was pretty upset, to say the least. But no matter what she did or said to me, I was never going to let her get under my skin again. Because you gave me hope, Adora. And you gave me an escape.’

‘Getting out of Tennessee was a pain in the ass, but thankfully, that money you worked for as a waitress in Vegas actually came in handy after the journey. Once I finished my last few exams a few weeks ago, I was able to afford a plane ticket out of that house.’

‘I still can’t believe it. I moved out of that house. Legally, this time. I’m old enough and I’ve finished my schooling. She has no hold over me anymore. I made damn sure of that. I’m still trying to get my hands on a phone, so this letter will have to do for now. But by the time this letter gets to you, I’m sure you’ll be in a similar state as me. No more exams, no more school. Nothing to hold you back for the time being. Maybe I’ll have finished my exams before you. The perks of taking easier classes!’

‘Anyway… Out of all the places I wanted to move to, I figured why not make it the favorite state of my dear partner? It’s nice here in Cali. The beach is a few miles away, and we’re a few minutes away from town. Well… Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself by saying ‘we’. After all, you might not even remember my name.’

“Oh, shut up…” Adora spoke softly, her voice hoarse.

‘But if, by chance, you still even care about me… Well, that money is for you. A plane ticket to California is around two-hundred dollars or so. I’m not going to force anything on you, Adora. Your life is your own. I have no right to control you. I feel pretty selfish doing this. But the money is there. And if you want to continue this journey… I’ll be waiting.’

‘The choice is yours. And whatever you decide, I just want you to know I still love you. You have made me a better version of myself. The world has looked much more colorful ever since that journey, and I think I smile a bit more these days. Thank you for everything. You’ll always be dear to me. Love, Catra.’

‘P.S, don’t you dare send that money back! I know how polite and kind you like to be, but I will personally come over there and kick your ass if you return that money!’

Adora saw a few droplets hit the paper of that letter. She already knew it was her own tears.

Her lips wobbled and her face scrunched up as she looked at the first words Catra had sent in a year. Her throat felt tight and her heart felt like it was being squeezed, but more than anything, she felt an insane amount of joy.

Catra still loved her.

Adora let out a sob as she held the letter close to her. Somehow, it smelt like Catra. Adora didn’t even care who heard her. These sobs were all she could manage for some time. The memories of their moments flooded her mind as she held Catra’s words close to her heart.

“Catra…” Adora choked out, gritting her teeth as she looked at the words again. Slowly, a smile crawled onto her face as she imagined Catra’s voice whilst reading those words. The way she teased Adora and the way she smiled as she talked sometimes.

Eventually, Adora’s eyes were directed to the money that had fallen onto her lap. She knew what this money was intended for. What she needed to do. She was under no obligation, but in Adora’s mind, this money would serve only one purpose.

Continuing the journey.

* * *

Adora could already feel the Californian heat as the plane wheels screeched whilst dragging against the ground beneath it.

She sat next to the window, looking out into the night sky and the distant city. Everyone around her was slowly awakening as the plane rocked out during landing, but she hadn’t slept for the last twenty-six hours. The excitement of being able to see Catra had become too much.

It had been four weeks since she received that letter. Purchasing a ticket was easy enough, but she also had to pack most of her things and find a way to convince her parents. She wasn’t going to just leave them behind again with nothing but a note.

However, to her surprise, she had found her parents to be supportive. They were upset, but she had promised occasional visits and that she wasn’t going to waste her own time in California. She was simply going to live the life she wanted with the woman she loved.

Adora wasn’t sure how to feel about her parents. Running away and going on a journey seemed to have made them realize their mistakes, and she wasn’t sure if she considered that a good thing or not. The thoughts would have to come later.

Adora looked ahead towards the front of the plane as it slowly began to taxi towards the terminal. She rolled her head around, cracking her neck and getting rid of any aches that came from the uncomfortable seat. Her heart was pounding, roaring within her chest.

Adora had sent a letter back telling Catra she had accepted her offer, but she had no clue if Catra received it or not. It was the trouble with sending letters. She just had to hope Catra knew what time and what day to wait at the airport for her.

The process of telling Glimmer, Bow, Perfuma and Scorpia was joyous as well. Adora was glad to have so many friends happy about their possible reunion. Glimmer was a bit of a realist as per usual, asking Adora if she was sure about her decision.

It was true that Adora thought she was being a tad hasty. That she may have not entirely thought this through. But her heart was screaming at her to do this. In her mind, Adora saw herself as chasing after what made her fulfilled. Catra was the woman she loved. She wanted to be with her.

And Adora didn’t see much wrong with that.

Eventually, a tone rang out through the plane, and everyone went to undo their seatbelts. Adora stood up from her seat, going to her overhead compartment and pulling out the small pack she had brought on board with her. The rest of her luggage would be picked up in the airport, and she had organized most of her other items to be moved if Catra accepted Adora’s offer to move in.

Adora never realized she’d have a home so soon. Granted, it was likely just an apartment. But any place with Catra was home in her eyes.

Adora pulled out her phone from within her small bag, taking it off airplane mode and checking her messages. Most of which were wishing her luck on her journey. Glimmer had sent her a picture from New York, and Scorpia and Perfuma had sent her a picture from a plane as well, just before they took off for home.

Adora smiled upon seeing all the messages. The shared happiness she had wasn’t just with Catra. It was with all of these people. Those who supported her and loved her through the journey she’s had in life.

Eventually, Adora pocketed her phone as the airplane doors opened up. She walked through the aisle, thanking the attendants on the way out as she stepped onto the bridge towards the terminal. The heat outside was blitzing through the walls somehow. Adora thanked her past self for dressing up in sleeveless shirt and denim shorts.

She eventually entered the large airport building, seeing how many people were walking to and from places. How many shops were open, even nearing midnight. How many families waited for their own flights. Everyone was in their own journey.

Adora saw a railing ahead. She was on a top floor, and would have to go downstairs to collect the rest of her luggage. But first, she put her hands on the railing, looking down at the ground floor. Scanning the crowd of people. Scanning for her.

People waited for friends and families, some holding up signs. Reunions were happening all around, and Adora was looking for her own. But wherever she looked, she couldn’t spot her.

Adora assumed the letter she sent hadn’t arrived. It was a tad disappointing, but not the end of the world. She’d just have to find Catra in her own time. As Adora’s hand slipped from the railing, she looked to the crowd one last time.

And then she saw her.

She had gotten a haircut, trimming her hair down to a short length so that the ends of it touched the back of her neck. But without a doubt, Adora’s eyes laid on her. Her partner. Her girlfriend.

Her Catra.

Catra stood behind the crowd of people, her arms crossed as she scanned the many people descending down the escalator. Catra, too, had an expression of disappointment. Perhaps she thought Adora hadn’t arrived yet.

Adora looked at her partner. Her heart felt like fireworks. Her chest fluttered with a billion butterflies. Her legs felt numb. She gripped the railing tight, her body feeling lightweight as she sucked in some air. She didn’t care who saw or heard. She let out a scream.

“CATRA!”

The echo of Adora’s cry made almost a thousand set of eyes direct towards her. She didn’t care. Because out of everyone who was looking at her, she only focused on one person.

Catra looked up to the railing as she heard her name being called. Her eyes widened, and her lips curled into wide smile as she saw the woman she loved most. Someone she had been waiting for, someone she hadn’t seen in over a year.

Adora’s legs gained some feeling once she saw that smile. Before Catra could shout back, Adora’s legs had already begun to move.

She pushed through the crowd of people, slipping and ducking between families, friends, lovers and partners. She panted as she ran, her heart beating faster than ever before. Everything felt like a blur. Nothing felt real.

And yet, it was real. Catra was real. Their journey was real. Their reunion was about to be real.

Adora descended down the escalator as fast as she possibly could. She slipped sometimes, and nearly fell other times. But throughout it all, she kept her balance. And finally, she made it to the ground floor.

And when she looked to her left, she saw Catra sprinting towards her. “ADORA!” Catra cried out, tears streaming down her cheeks endlessly.

Adora laughed, running towards her partner.

And in that moment, they met for the first time in over a year.

Adora wrapped her arms around her partner, using the momentum of Catra’s running to spin her around as they held onto each other. Catra’s beautiful laughter echoed with Adora’s own. Adora placed a hand on the back of Catra’s head as they hugged.

The feeling was so familiar. The way Catra held onto her tightly, and the way her hair tickled Adora’s neck was everything Adora needed and more. She wasn’t sure how long she hugged Catra for. Maybe it was an eternity. Maybe it was two.

But eventually, Adora pulled back slightly, her arms still wrapped around her partner. “Catra…” Adora gasped, looking her partner up and down. The tears had begun to flow a while ago, and she simply let them loose. “I missed you so much…”

“I was afraid you had forgotten all about me…” Catra chuckled through the tears, putting her hands on Adora’s cheeks and pushing her forehead against her partner’s.

“How could I ever forget someone as amazing as you?” Adora asked, closing her eyes as she simply took in Catra’s presence. Her touch. Her smell. Her laughter. Her smile. “How could I ever forget the person I love more than anything?”

“You…” Catra spoke softly. “You still love me?” Catra asked, opening her eyes slightly to look into Adora’s. “Even after all this time?”

Adora slowly brushed her knuckles over Catra’s cheek, and felt her short hair. “Always.”

Catra felt another round of tears burst furth as she couldn’t help but chuckle. “Fuck… That means we missed our first anniversary…” Catra laughed. “I forgot to get you a present.”

Adora laughed in response. “That’s alright… I think all of this more than makes up for it,” she replied, unable to stop herself from chuckling. Catra didn’t really mind. She loved Adora’s laughter.

“… Hey Adora?” Catra asked, looking directly into her partner’s eyes.

“Yeah?” Adora replied.

Catra let out a gentle sigh, and softly gripped Adora’s cheeks. “I love you too.”

Adora looked to her partner for a few more seconds. Silence followed, but Catra’s eyes gazing towards Adora’s lips was enough to tell Adora exactly what she wanted. And lucky for her, it was also what Adora wanted.

And so, Catra passionately pushed her lips to Adora’s in the middle of that airport.

They closed their eyes, and took in each other’s kiss. They took in every single second of their closeness. They didn’t care who saw. They only cared about each other, and their future. The continuation of this journey, together.

They kissed, and in that moment, they experienced the bliss of life. The joy that comes with love. The beauty of the world.

They experienced shared happiness.

* * *

**In Memory of Christopher Johnson McCandless.**

**February 12, 1968 – August 18, 1992.**

**'Happiness only real when shared.'**

**This self-portrait was found undeveloped in his camera upon the discovery of his body by moose hunters 2 weeks after his death.**

****

**Bus 142, AKA The 'Magic Bus'**

* * *

_The End_


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